Rubber Market Ends Higher On Steady Oil, Mixed Regional Cues

By Abdul Hamid A Rahman

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- The Kuala Lumpur rubber market closed higher on Tuesday, supported by steady crude oil prices and mixed trends in regional rubber futures, a dealer said.

“Japanese rubber futures rose for an eighth straight session today, supported by firm downstream demand. Downstream demand for rubber has remained positive, while supplies of raw materials from major overseas producing countries have not been smooth,” he told Bernama.

He added that the oil prices were steady after jumping more than two per cent in the previous session, as markets assessed supply risks linked to Russia-Ukraine tensions and peace talks.

Traders, however, remained cautious ahead of key US policy signals from the Federal Reserve minutes due later in the day.

“Further gains were capped by a slightly stronger ringgit against the US dollar, as well as uncertainty over future US rate cuts and recent geopolitical developments in the Middle East,” he said.

At 3 pm, Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) 20 rose two sen to 754.0 sen per kilogramme, while latex-in-bulk added one sen to 576.0 sen per kilogramme.

The Kuala Lumpur rubber market will be closed on Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025, and Thursday, Jan 1, 2026, for the New Year holidays. Trading will resume on Friday, Jan 2, 2026.

-- BERNAMA