Cautious Trading Ahead For Rubber Market Amid Supply Concerns
By Siti Noor Afera Abu
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Bernama) -- The local rubber market is likely to remain on a downtrend next week as businesses are still cautious about the global market outlook, according to the Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA).
The association said prices will likely be affected by the supply shortages due to the weather conditions, the strength of the ringgit, crude oil price movements, and the unpredictable nature of the United States-China trade relations and China's economic policies.
“These will contribute to a volatile and uncertain market for rubber in the coming week,” MARGMA told Bernama.
Industry expert Denis Low also echoed this view, noting that weather-driven supply disruptions could further add to market volatility.
For the week just ended, the Kuala Lumpur rubber market ended on a downtrend this week, weighed down by declines in regional rubber futures markets, weaker benchmark crude oil prices and a stronger ringgit against the US dollar.
On a week-to-week basis, the Malaysian Rubber Board’s reference price for Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) fell by 42 sen to 698.5 sen per kilogramme (kg), while latex in bulk decreased by 6.5 sen to 620.5 sen per kg.
The Kuala Lumpur rubber market will be closed on June 2, 2025 (Monday) in conjunction with His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim’s official birthday and will commence operations on Tuesday.
-- BERNAMA