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Mellkar Index — the Americas and Spain

The monthly cost of landing a kilo of raw material in the Americas and Spain, on a base of 100 and without mixing price changes with changes in who reported. 5 series built over 11 markets, on official customs data from UN Comtrade.

A price on its own says little: to know whether something is expensive you need to know against what. That is what this index is for. It takes the headings of a raw material whose declared value really is a price, weights them by the volume actually imported and tracks them month by month from a fixed base, so that any number in the series can be compared with any other. Beyond the full basket, the most requested headings have an index of their own.

The 5 indices at a glance

IndexIndexChg.against the previous monthBase 100
Mellkar industrial rubber Index118.5May 2026 · provisional +6%Feb 2024
Mellkar natural rubber IndexHS 4001126.5May 2026 · provisional +4%Feb 2024
Mellkar synthetic rubber IndexHS 4002111.7May 2026 · provisional +8%Feb 2024
Mellkar SBR IndexHS 400219115.4May 2026 · provisional +9%Feb 2024
Mellkar EPDM IndexHS 400270103.1May 2026 · provisional +9%Feb 2024

The series, one by one

Mellkar industrial rubber Index

Base 100 = February 2024

118.5 — May 2026 · provisional

+6% against the previous month

The Mellkar industrial rubber Index stands at 118.5 in May 2026, a rise of 6% against April 2026. It is built from imports of 2 tariff headings declared to UN Comtrade by 11 markets in the Americas and Spain, with each market’s price weighted by the kilos that actually came in. Base 100 = February 2024.

See the full series
MonthIndexChg.against the previous monthCells
May 2026provisional118.5 +6%10
Apr 2026111.8 +1%12
Mar 2026110.3 +1%15
Feb 2026108.9 -3%16
Jan 2026111.7 0%16
Dec 2025111.6 0%13
Nov 2025111.4 +2%14
Oct 2025109.5 -3%14
Sep 2025112.8 -3%14
Aug 2025116.2 -1%14
Jul 2025117.2 -2%14
Jun 2025120.0 -2%14
May 2025122.5 +1%14
Apr 2025120.8 0%16
Mar 2025121.1 0%16
Feb 2025120.9 0%16
Jan 2025120.6 +2%16
Dec 2024118.4 0%18
Nov 2024118.7 0%18
Oct 2024118.3 0%18
Sep 2024118.3 +4%18
Aug 2024113.6 +3%18
Jul 2024110.5 0%18
Jun 2024110.3 +3%18
May 2024107.4 +5%18
Apr 2024102.7 +2%18
Mar 2024100.3 0%17
Feb 2024100.0—18

It measures what a kilo of this material costs landed in the markets tracked, with the basket’s headings weighted by imported volume. It is a Laspeyres anchored to the base: each month is compared with the base month using only the cells present in both, so the index does not move because the set of reporters changed. Months marked provisional rest on fewer countries and will be revised as Comtrade completes the period.

See the prices behind this index

Mellkar natural rubber Index

HS 4001Base 100 = February 2024

126.5 — May 2026 · provisional

+4% against the previous month

The Mellkar natural rubber Index stands at 126.5 in May 2026, a rise of 4% against April 2026. It is built from imports of heading HS 4001 declared to UN Comtrade by 11 markets in the Americas and Spain, with each market’s price weighted by the kilos that actually came in. Base 100 = February 2024.

See the full series
MonthIndexChg.against the previous monthCells
May 2026provisional126.5 +4%5
Apr 2026121.9 0%6
Mar 2026121.7 0%8
Feb 2026121.1 +1%8
Jan 2026120.3 -1%8
Dec 2025121.6 +1%6
Nov 2025119.9 +3%7
Oct 2025116.7 -3%7
Sep 2025119.7 -3%7
Aug 2025124.0 -3%7
Jul 2025128.3 -5%7
Jun 2025134.6 -1%7
May 2025136.1 0%7
Apr 2025136.4 0%8
Mar 2025136.7 -1%8
Feb 2025138.1 +4%8
Jan 2025132.7 +3%8
Dec 2024129.4 +2%9
Nov 2024126.3 +1%9
Oct 2024124.9 0%9
Sep 2024125.4 +5%9
Aug 2024119.7 +3%9
Jul 2024116.6 +1%9
Jun 2024115.6 +5%9
May 2024110.3 +5%9
Apr 2024105.0 +4%9
Mar 2024100.9 +1%9
Feb 2024100.0—9

It measures what a kilo of this heading costs landed in the markets tracked. It is a Laspeyres anchored to the base: each month is compared with the base month using only the markets present in both, so the index does not move because the set of reporters changed. A single heading rests on fewer declarations than the whole basket, so it moves more; months marked provisional will be revised as Comtrade completes the period.

See the prices for this heading

Mellkar synthetic rubber Index

HS 4002Base 100 = February 2024

111.7 — May 2026 · provisional

+8% against the previous month

The Mellkar synthetic rubber Index stands at 111.7 in May 2026, a rise of 8% against April 2026. It is built from imports of heading HS 4002 declared to UN Comtrade by 11 markets in the Americas and Spain, with each market’s price weighted by the kilos that actually came in. Base 100 = February 2024.

See the full series
MonthIndexChg.against the previous monthCells
May 2026provisional111.7 +8%5
Apr 2026103.2 +2%6
Mar 2026100.7 +2%7
Feb 202698.7 -6%8
Jan 2026104.5 +1%8
Dec 2025103.1 -1%7
Nov 2025104.2 +1%7
Oct 2025103.5 -3%7
Sep 2025107.0 -2%7
Aug 2025109.7 +2%7
Jul 2025107.7 0%7
Jun 2025107.6 -3%7
May 2025110.9 +3%7
Apr 2025107.5 0%8
Mar 2025107.8 +2%8
Feb 2025106.2 -4%8
Jan 2025110.3 +1%8
Dec 2024109.1 -3%9
Nov 2024112.3 0%9
Oct 2024112.8 0%9
Sep 2024112.4 +4%9
Aug 2024108.4 +3%9
Jul 2024105.3 -1%9
Jun 2024105.9 +1%9
May 2024105.0 +4%9
Apr 2024100.8 +1%9
Mar 202499.9 0%8
Feb 2024100.0—9

It measures what a kilo of this heading costs landed in the markets tracked. It is a Laspeyres anchored to the base: each month is compared with the base month using only the markets present in both, so the index does not move because the set of reporters changed. A single heading rests on fewer declarations than the whole basket, so it moves more; months marked provisional will be revised as Comtrade completes the period.

See the prices for this heading

Mellkar SBR Index

HS 400219Base 100 = February 2024

115.4 — May 2026 · provisional

+9% against the previous month

The Mellkar SBR Index stands at 115.4 in May 2026, a rise of 9% against April 2026. It is built from imports of heading HS 400219 declared to UN Comtrade by 11 markets in the Americas and Spain, with each market’s price weighted by the kilos that actually came in. Base 100 = February 2024.

See the full series
MonthIndexChg.against the previous monthCells
May 2026provisional115.4 +9%5
Apr 2026106.0 +4%6
Mar 2026102.0 +3%8
Feb 202698.9 0%8
Jan 202698.7 -3%8
Dec 2025101.8 0%7
Nov 2025101.9 -1%7
Oct 2025102.9 -6%7
Sep 2025109.4 +1%7
Aug 2025108.7 0%7
Jul 2025108.9 +1%7
Jun 2025107.8 0%7
May 2025108.0 -1%7
Apr 2025109.4 +2%8
Mar 2025106.9 -1%8
Feb 2025107.9 -2%8
Jan 2025109.7 -1%8
Dec 2024110.4 -2%9
Nov 2024112.2 0%9
Oct 2024112.5 0%9
Sep 2024112.2 -1%9
Aug 2024113.6 +6%9
Jul 2024107.4 +1%9
Jun 2024106.1 0%9
May 2024106.4 +3%9
Apr 2024102.9 +2%9
Mar 2024100.7 +1%9
Feb 2024100.0—9

It measures what a kilo of this heading costs landed in the markets tracked. It is a Laspeyres anchored to the base: each month is compared with the base month using only the markets present in both, so the index does not move because the set of reporters changed. A single heading rests on fewer declarations than the whole basket, so it moves more; months marked provisional will be revised as Comtrade completes the period.

See the prices for this heading

Mellkar EPDM Index

HS 400270Base 100 = February 2024

103.1 — May 2026 · provisional

+9% against the previous month

The Mellkar EPDM Index stands at 103.1 in May 2026, a rise of 9% against April 2026. It is built from imports of heading HS 400270 declared to UN Comtrade by 11 markets in the Americas and Spain, with each market’s price weighted by the kilos that actually came in. Base 100 = February 2024.

See the full series
MonthIndexChg.against the previous monthCells
May 2026provisional103.1 +9%5
Apr 202694.5 +2%6
Mar 202692.7 -6%7
Feb 202698.9 0%7
Jan 202699.1 0%8
Dec 202599.1 -2%7
Nov 2025100.9 -2%7
Oct 2025102.6 +6%7
Sep 202597.0 -4%7
Aug 2025101.2 +5%7
Jul 202596.7 +1%7
Jun 202596.0 -5%7
May 2025101.1 -2%7
Apr 2025102.8 +3%8
Mar 202599.6 -4%8
Feb 2025103.4 +5%8
Jan 202598.8 -4%8
Dec 2024103.1 +9%9
Nov 202494.8 -2%9
Oct 202496.5 -7%9
Sep 2024103.8 +4%9
Aug 2024100.1 -1%9
Jul 2024100.7 -1%8
Jun 2024102.0 +2%9
May 202499.8 +3%9
Apr 202496.8 -4%8
Mar 2024101.0 +1%8
Feb 2024100.0—9

It measures what a kilo of this heading costs landed in the markets tracked. It is a Laspeyres anchored to the base: each month is compared with the base month using only the markets present in both, so the index does not move because the set of reporters changed. A single heading rests on fewer declarations than the whole basket, so it moves more; months marked provisional will be revised as Comtrade completes the period.

See the prices for this heading

What goes into the index

An index measures neither a single heading nor a single market: it measures a basket. The unit of calculation is the cell — one market and one heading in one month — and the index moves with the price of all of them at once, each weighing what its kilos weigh. Which headings go in is not a matter of taste, and it is explained below.

The industrial rubber basket

With their own index

No index, and why

  • HS 4003 — Reclaimed rubber
  • HS 4004 — Rubber waste, parings and scrap
  • HS 4005 — Compounded rubber, unvulcanised
  • HS 401691 — Rubber floor coverings

The unit value of these headings is not a price: it is the mix of whatever shipped. Shredded tyre runs from 0.05 to 3 USD/kg depending on the lot, and in compounded rubber and finished flooring every shipment is a different reference, with its own thickness and finish. They still publish their price tables, which is where a unit value does say something. What they do not do is form an index.

The 11 markets

Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, United States, Canada, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, Spain.

Only imports count, which is the CIF value: what a kilo costs landed at the destination port, freight and insurance included. Exports are published in each heading’s tables but stay out of the index — mixing the two sides would give a number that is neither what is paid nor what is charged.

How it is calculated

As a Laspeyres anchored to its base month, which solves the problem this data has: a different set of countries reports each month. If nine markets declare in May and seven in June, a simple average falls even though no price moved — the expensive country left, the material did not get cheaper. Every month is compared directly against the base month using only the cells present in both, weighted by the base month's kilos, so composition is frozen and only price moves the result. It is anchored rather than chained because chaining accumulates: each link is computed over a different subset of cells, the errors do not cancel, and the series drifts away from a direct comparison of its own two endpoints. Anchored there is no error to accumulate, and any month of the series can be compared with any other.

Recent months get revised

Comtrade keeps receiving late declarations for about six months, so the tail of the series rests on fewer countries than the body. Those months are marked provisional and their figure will change. They are published anyway, because they are the ones useful to someone today, and they are flagged, because an index that never corrects itself is one you cannot trust. When a month is revised, we say so.

How to cite it

“Mellkar industrial rubber Index, May 2026: 118.5 (base 100 = February 2024), from import declarations filed with UN Comtrade by 11 markets across the Americas and Spain.” The page is updated monthly at this same address, so a link made today still points at current data a year from now.

“Mellkar natural rubber Index, May 2026: 126.5 (base 100 = February 2024), from import declarations filed with UN Comtrade by 11 markets across the Americas and Spain.” The page is updated monthly at this same address, so a link made today still points at current data a year from now.

“Mellkar synthetic rubber Index, May 2026: 111.7 (base 100 = February 2024), from import declarations filed with UN Comtrade by 11 markets across the Americas and Spain.” The page is updated monthly at this same address, so a link made today still points at current data a year from now.

“Mellkar SBR Index, May 2026: 115.4 (base 100 = February 2024), from import declarations filed with UN Comtrade by 11 markets across the Americas and Spain.” The page is updated monthly at this same address, so a link made today still points at current data a year from now.

“Mellkar EPDM Index, May 2026: 103.1 (base 100 = February 2024), from import declarations filed with UN Comtrade by 11 markets across the Americas and Spain.” The page is updated monthly at this same address, so a link made today still points at current data a year from now.

Source
UN Comtrade — United Nations International Trade Statistics Database
Flow
Imports, CIF value
Unit
US dollars per kilo
Years
2021–2025
Markets
11, the Americas and SpainColombia, Brazil, Mexico, United States, Canada, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, Spain
Updated
August 26, 2026

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