By Yayat Supriatna
JAKARTA, April 28 (Reuters) - Indonesia will export a third more rubber this year to China, which will become the top buyer from the world's second-largest producer, as demand from Chinese tyre makers rises, taking the place of the drop in Japan after the earthquake, the Indonesian Rubber Association said on Thursday.
China will replace the United States in 2011 as Indonesia's biggest rubber export market, with up to 800,000 tonnes heading to the world's second-largest economy, Asril Sutan Amir, chairman at the association, known as Gapkindo, told Reuters.
" Indonesia's rubber export to China may reach (from) 600,000 tonnes (in 2010) to 800,000 tonnes in 2011 because of export shifting from Japan after the earthquake and tsunami," said Amir, who was speaking ahead of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Indonesia this week.
"Our (rubber) export to China is increasing significantly in 2011," he added. "It is obvious that China is now the biggest market for Indonesian rubber." (Reporting by Yayat Supriatna; Writing by Michael Taylor; Editing by Ramthan Hussain)