SINGAPORE: Japanese rubber futures retreated on Monday on a strengthening yen, while escalating trade measures dampened the outlook for global markets.
The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for August delivery closed down 8.2 yen, or 2.34%, at 341.5 yen ($2.29) per kg. The rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for May delivery fell 200 yuan, or 1.17%, to 16,920 yuan ($2,337.31) per metric ton. The most active May butadiene rubber contract on the SHFE edged 110 yuan lower, or 0.8%, to 13,705 yuan ($1,893.19) per ton. Global rubber futures ended the week lower amid a global recession, weaker equity markets, and uncertainties surrounding the Trump administration’s tariffs, Japan Exchange Group said in a report. Global stock indexes finished on Thursday more than 10% below its February record close after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 200% tariff on European wine and spirit imports. German carmaker BMW said on Friday it expected tariffs to cost it 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) this year on Trump’s 25% duty on vehicles from Mexico that do not comply with North American trade deal’s rules of origin, including BMWs.
Automobile sales could influence the intensity of automobile manufacturing, which involves using rubber-made tyres. The yen stuck close to a five-month high, last trading 148.70 yen per dollar. A stronger currency makes yen-denominated assets less affordable to overseas buyers. In top consumer China, the country’s State Council unveiled on Sunday what it called a “special action plan” to boost domestic consumption. Chinese retail sales growth accelerated slightly while industrial output slowed in January-February, underscoring the strains on an economy facing fresh US tariff pressure. The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange’s SICOM platform for March delivery last traded at 193.1 US cents per kg, down 1.6%.
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