Kuala lumpur: The rubber market is expected to trade with a lower bias next week, driven by fresh rubber supply following the end of the wintering period, said industry expert Denis Low. Low mentioned that while there is incessant rainfall, it is not severe enough to affect rubber tapping.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Low highlighted that there is an abundance of supply currently tapping into the market's higher prices, which is sustained by speculative activities of processors and traders. He cautioned that the market is pushing back and advised caution. Additionally, there is a significant supply of synthetic rubber available.

Echoing Low's sentiments, the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) projected that the market is likely to trade range-bound. It is anticipated that the easing of the monsoon season will improve the supply of raw rubber.

On a Friday-to-Friday comparison, the Malaysian Rubber Board's reference price for Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) increased by 9.5 sen to 889 sen per kilogram, while latex-in-bulk saw a decrease of 10.5 sen to 765 sen per kilogram.