Kuala lumpur: The Kuala Lumpur rubber market remained steady today amid hopes that the United States-Israeli war on Iran will end soon, said a dealer. He said market sentiment was also bolstered by stronger-than-expected Chinese economic data.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, US President Donald Trump today said that US military operations in Iran would end soon, easing fears of prolonged global oil supply disruptions. At the time of writing, Brent crude prices dropped 7.19 per cent to US$91.79 per barrel.

The dealer mentioned that China began 2026 with exports far exceeding forecasts, propelled by strong electronics demand, maintaining the economy's trajectory to surpass last year's US$1.2 trillion trade surplus. However, further gains in the rubber market were capped by the mixed performance of regional rubber futures markets and signs of rising supply from major rubber producers.

Japanese rubber futures fell on Tuesday, as oil prices slipped and supply expectations from major producers weighed on the market. It was reported that the rising supply from major producers, with Indonesia and the Ivory Coast entering peak harvesting and tapping seasons, added pressure to the market.

At 3 pm, the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) 20 and latex in bulk were unchanged at 793 sen per kilogramme (kg) and 656 sen per kg, respectively.