Kuala lumpur: The Kuala Lumpur rubber market ended on a mixed note amid weaker regional rubber futures and declining crude oil prices, according to a dealer.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Brent crude prices fell by 2.09 percent to US$102.60 per barrel, contributing to the mixed performance in the rubber market. The dealer noted that while the softer regional rubber futures and lower crude oil prices exerted downward pressure on prices, their impact was partially mitigated by firm physical rubber prices in Thailand, strong United States labor market conditions, and the delay of new US tariffs on Chinese goods.
The firm Thai physical rubber prices were attributed to low inventories and increased restocking activities at processing plants. Meanwhile, the resilient US labor market bolstered market sentiment, as initial jobless claims fell to 196,000 for the week ended September 12, outperforming the forecast of 208,000 claims.
At 3 pm, the Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) price declined by 8.5 sen to 977.5 sen per kilogram, whereas latex in bulk increased by two sen to 717 sen per kilogram.