Kuala lumpur: The Malaysian rubber market has continued to end lower today, tracking losses in regional rubber futures markets and crude oil prices, a dealer said. The market sentiment was also affected by steady United States (US) interest rates ahead of the tariff deadline on August 1, 2025.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, further losses were capped by a weaker ringgit against the US dollar amid moderate natural rubber demand anticipated by the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) for this year. The dealer explained that Japanese rubber futures declined across all exchanges on Thursday due to renewed US tariffs on South Korean automobiles and sluggish manufacturing activity in China, which weighed on prices.

Oil prices also fell on Thursday as investors responded to weak economic data from China and concerns over demand, despite tighter supplies due to US sanctions on Russia and US President Donald Trump’s push for a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine through additional tariffs.

At 6.05 pm, Brent crude oil dropped by 0.87 per cent to US$72.69 per barrel. Earlier at 3 pm, the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) reported that the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) dropped 6.5 sen to 720.50 sen per kilogramme (kg), while latex in bulk fell two sen to 571.50 sen per kg.