Rubber Market Closes Higher On Regional Futures Gains, Strong China Data

By Muhammad Fawwaz Thaqif Nor Afandi & Abdul Hamid A Rahman

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- The Kuala Lumpur rubber market closed higher on Wednesday due to gains in the regional rubber futures markets, which were buoyed by improved economic data from China, said a dealer.

She said Japanese rubber futures rose today to their highest levels since late March, as the yen weakened and buyers in top consumer China replenished inventories before the Lunar New Year holidays.

"China on Wednesday reported a record trade surplus of nearly US$1.2 trillion (US$1=RM4.06) in 2025, led by booming exports to non-US markets as producers looked to build global scale to fend off sustained pressure from Donald Trump’s administration," the dealer told Bernama.

Nevertheless, further upside was capped by declining crude oil prices amid expectations of slower global economic growth in 2026, as projected by the World Bank.

At 3 pm, Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) 20 gained 9.5 sen to 767 sen per kilogramme (kg), while latex-in-bulk rose two sen to 577 sen per kg.

-- BERNAMA