Rubber Market Ends Lower As US Tariffs Take Effect

By Harizah Hanim Mohamed

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian rubber market ended easier today in tandem with its regional counterparts as tariffs announced earlier by the United States (US) began to take effect, said a dealer.

US tariffs, ranging from 15 per cent to 50 per cent on major economies, started to take effect Thursday even as negotiations with Washington remained ongoing.

“The US imposes 100 per cent levy on semiconductor imports effective midnight (US time) on Aug 7, 2025, with the only exemption on the industry is provided to companies that currently manufacture or plan to manufacture in the US,” the dealer said.

Japanese rubber futures declined on Thursday, as weaker US manufacturing activities dampened sentiment.

At 3 pm, the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) reported that the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) fell by six sen to 718 sen per kilogramme (kg) while latex in bulk eased by half a sen to 565 sen per kg.

-- BERNAMA