Kuala lumpur: The rubber market closed higher on Tuesday, influenced by gains in regional rubber futures amid the absence of Chinese and Japanese buyers, said a dealer. A slightly weaker ringgit against the US dollar also contributed to the positive sentiment in the market.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the ringgit was trading at 3.9540/9590 against the US dollar at 8 am, compared to 3.9540/9575 at the previous day's close. Despite the upward trend, further gains were limited due to softer benchmark crude oil prices, mixed economic data from the United States, and a cautious global economic outlook. The ongoing tensions in West Asia continue to affect market sentiment.

At 3 pm, the Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) 20 price saw an increase of six sen, reaching 872 sen per kilogramme, while latex-in-bulk rose by five sen, settling at 755 sen per kilogramme.