Introduction

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The International Rubber Association was inaugurated in Ottawa, Canada on 24 September 1971 with an initial membership of twenty-one organisations. It was led by a six-member Management Committee team, three of which were member Associations domiciled in the producing countries while the other three were from the consuming countries.  The objectives of the Association were:

• to discuss international commercial matters relating to natural rubber and/or any other subjects incidental thereto;
• to consider any problems in connection with the international rubber trade and to submit reports and recommendations on the subject to members for their consideration and adoption;
• to establish an International Contracts Committee within the International Rubber Association to formulate International Contracts for natural rubber and the interpretation thereof.

The Association started to gain international recognition and acceptance for the work it had set out to do and in 1977, the number of members in the Management Committee increased to eight to reflect a wider representation of the international rubber trade.  Meanwhile, the current total membership of the Association stands at thirty-one from sixteen countries.

In line with the aspiration of the Association that there should be healthy trade practices among members of the trading fraternity, the Constitution of the International Rubber Association was amended in 1998 and its objectives widened to include the following:

• to ensure observance of the sanctity and the ultimate enforcement of all International Rubber Association and linked contracts;
• to facilitate the continual improvement in international trade in natural rubber.

The International Rubber Association believes in the concept of contract sanctity in the conduct of international trade.  It is with this in mind that the Association has published this handbook which lists out the names of all the member companies which have agreed to abide by the Constitution of the International Rubber Association (amended 1998).  The companies so listed have given their assurance that they are prepared to comply with proper trade ethics in the course of normal trade.