Kuala lumpur: The Malaysian rubber market ended slightly lower on Monday, affected by weaker crude oil prices and a stronger ringgit against the US dollar, a dealer reported.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the decline was also influenced by uncertainties over potential US trade tariffs and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. Despite these factors, losses were mitigated by optimism surrounding US-China trade talks and indications of increased economic stimulus from China.

Brent crude oil experienced a decline of 0.38 percent, settling at US$68.96 per barrel at the time of reporting. At 3 pm, the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) noted that the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) decreased by half-a-sen to 735.50 sen per kilogramme. Additionally, the price of latex in bulk fell by 2.0 sen to 569.50 sen per kg.