Tire, Inner Tube and Flap Supply Chain Under Pressure: Qingdao Florescence Adjusts Prices Effective September 15
Qingdao, China — September 20, 2026 — Brent crude closed above US$100 a barrel on September 9, 2026, its first close above the level in four months, and Shanghai’s natural rubber main contract tagged RMB 19,810/ton that same week, its highest level since May 2025. Days later, carbon black producer Cabot announced a RMB 5,800/ton increase on specialty grades. For the first time this year, all three core inputs of inner tube and flap production — rubber, carbon black and oil-based chemicals — are rising at the same time. Effective September 15, 2026, Qingdao Florescence Co., Ltd has adjusted its selling prices accordingly. This article explains what is driving the increase, how it translates into tube costs, and what we recommend buyers do in the next 60 days.
Raw material snapshot
• Natural rubber (SHFE main contract): RMB 19,810/ton (weekly high) — up 49% from the May 2025 low of RMB 13,295/ton — as of the week of September 7–11, 2026 — Source: SHFE daily data
• Carbon black (specialty grades): +RMB 5,800/ton, a single-step increase — announced September 15, 2026 — Source: supplier price notice
• Brent crude: US$104.61/barrel (close) — above US$100 since September 9, 2026 — Source: Reuters
• Florescence selling price: adjusted across all lines — cost pass-through — effective September 15, 2026 — Source: this article
What is behind the increase
Natural rubber: +49% from the May 2025 low
The rubber main contract bottomed at RMB 13,295/ton in May 2025 and spent the following months in a narrow range. After an early-August 2026 low near RMB 16,270/ton, it climbed steadily through September and tagged RMB 19,810/ton in the week of September 11 — up roughly 22% in six weeks from the August low.
Rubber is the single largest cost component in any tube compound — natural rubber for agricultural, motorcycle and industrial lines, synthetic (butyl) rubber for truck, bus and passenger car lines — so every step up in the market lands directly on the production floor.
Carbon black: +RMB 5,800/ton on coking-coal supply pressure
On September 15, 2026, Cabot issued a price increase notice raising specialty carbon black by RMB 5,800 per ton. The pressure starts upstream in coking coal: safety inspections and environmental enforcement in major mining regions have kept supply short of demand, and the gap is being passed down the industrial chain step by step.
Crude oil: Brent back above US$100
Escalating Middle East conflict pushed Brent above US$100 on September 9, with the contract settling at US$104.61 on September 11 — its highest close since late May. Crude oil is the feedstock for synthetic butyl rubber and for the oil-based chemicals used in tube compounds, so the energy market now adds a second cost driver on top of natural rubber.
How this reaches your inner tube price
• A tube compound is built from rubber (the bulk of the material), carbon black (reinforcement) and oil-based processing chemicals.
• A butyl tube (truck, bus, passenger car) is hit twice: crude oil moves butyl cost, because butyl is a synthetic, petrochemical-derived rubber, and carbon black moves the compound.
• A natural rubber tube (agricultural, motorcycle, industrial) is hit by the rubber futures market and carbon black.
• In short: when all three inputs move up in the same quarter, every manufacturer’s cost base moves up. This is a sector-wide adjustment, not a single-supplier decision.
What buyers should do in the next 60 days
1. Re-confirm current pricing. Quotations issued before September 15 no longer reflect the current cost base — ask us to refresh them.
2. Lock volumes for stable, recurring sizes. For high-turnover sizes such as 12.00R24 (truck) and 175/185R14 (passenger car), committing Q4 volumes now avoids buying into the next raw-material step.
3. Split large orders into 2–3 shipments if you need to protect working capital while prices stay volatile.
4. Ask your supplier how costs are passed through. A mature manufacturer shows you which raw materials moved and by how much — this article is one example.
5. Don’t wait for a bottom. With three inputs rising in the same direction at once, timing a dip is the riskiest strategy currently available.
6. Test before you commit. Our free sample policy is unchanged: request samples of any size you are planning to order and evaluate before the next purchase order.
Our adjustment at a glance
• Effective date: September 15, 2026
• Scope: all lines — truck & bus, passenger car, agricultural & OTR, industrial, motorcycle & bicycle, swim/snow, flaps
• Quality standards, 12-month warranty and 48-hour pre-shipment inflation test: unchanged
• MOQ: unchanged
• Browse current ranges: Bus & Truck Tubes | Passenger Car Tubes | Agricultural Tractor & OTR Tubes （
• Get an updated quote or the current price list: Contact us
FAQ
Why are inner tube prices rising in 2026?
Three core inputs are rising simultaneously: natural rubber at RMB 19,810/ton (highest since May 2025), Cabot specialty carbon black up RMB 5,800/ton from September 15, and Brent crude above US$100 since September 9, 2026.
When did Florescence adjust its prices?
Effective September 15, 2026, across all product lines, reflecting raw material cost movements.
Will MOQ, warranty or sample policy change?
No. The 12-month warranty, 48-hour inflation test, standard MOQs and free samples remain unchanged.
How long will prices stay elevated?
We do not publish price forecasts. We track the three inputs monthly and post updates when a new step is confirmed; the current direction is up across all three.
How can I lock in a price for Q4?
Contact us with your size list and estimated volumes; we can discuss committed-volume pricing against the current cost base.
【H2】About Qingdao Florescence Co., Ltd
Qingdao Florescence Co., Ltd is a Chinese manufacturer of inner tubes and rubber flaps, exporting to more than 140 countries. With production based in Qingdao, the company supplies truck & bus, passenger car, agricultural & OTR, industrial, motorcycle and bicycle inner tubes in over 170 sizes, plus rubber flaps, with full OEM and ODM support.
Post time: Sep-20-2026