Kuala lumpur: The Kuala Lumpur rubber market ended higher, supported by gains in regional rubber futures amid concerns over lower production in major natural rubber-producing countries, a dealer said. Market sentiment was further bolstered by encouraging economic data from China.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, a stronger ringgit against the US dollar, ongoing geopolitical uncertainties, and cautious market positioning amid uncertainty over the new United States Federal Reserve's leadership capped further upside. Meanwhile, lower rubber production in top producers was also supportive of rubber prices.

The dealer noted that rubber crops usually undergo a season of low production from February to May, before entering a peak harvesting period that lasts until September. At 3 pm, the Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) 20 was up by 1.5 sen to 756 sen per kilogramme (kg), while latex-in-bulk inched up half a sen to 576.5 sen per kg.