Rubber Market Closes Lower On Regional Futures, Crude Oil Price Losses

By Nur Athirah Mohd Shaharuddin

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian rubber market has continued to end lower today, tracking losses in regional rubber futures markets and crude oil prices, a dealer said.

She said the market sentiment was also affected by steady United States (US) interest rates ahead of the tariff deadline on Aug 1, 2025.

“Nevertheless, further losses were capped by a weaker ringgit against the US dollar amid moderate natural rubber demand anticipated by the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) for this year,” she told Bernama.

The dealer said Japanese rubber futures declined across all exchanges on Thursday, as renewed US tariffs on South Korean automobiles and sluggish manufacturing activity in China weighed on prices.

She noted that oil prices also fell on Thursday as investors responded to weak economic data from China and concerns over demand, despite tighter supplies due to US sanctions on Russia and US President Donald Trump’s push for a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine through additional tariffs.

At 6.05 pm, Brent crude oil dropped by 0.87 per cent to US$72.69 per barrel.

At 3 pm, the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) reported that the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) dropped 6.5 sen to 720.50 sen per kilogramme (kg), while latex in bulk fell two sen to 571.50 sen per kg.

-- BERNAMA