TOCOM rises on tight supplies in top production regions

• Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) futures rose slightly on Tuesday on higher prices of raw materials amid tight supplies in the main production regions, even as Shanghai futures dropped.
•  The U.S. dollar was quoted about 107.58 yen, compared with around 107.54 yen on Monday afternoon.
• * TOCOM's TSR 20 futures contract for March delivery closed at 153.9 yen per kg.

BEIJING: * Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) futures rose slightly on Tuesday on higher prices of raw materials amid tight supplies in the main production regions, even as Shanghai futures dropped.

* The benchmark TOCOM rubber contract for February delivery finished up 1.5 yen ($0.0139) at 168.1 yen per kg.

* "There has been more rainfall in Thailand and Vietnam since August, affecting rubber tapping in the regions," said Tang Xiaonan, analyst, JLC Network Technology Co Ltd, explaining the rise.

* "But demand here in China remains quite weak," Tang said.

* The most-active rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange for January delivery fell 135 yuan  ($18.99) to finish at 11,835 yuan per tonne. China's new technically specified rubber (TSR) 20 futures contract was last down 85 yuan at 10,100 yuan per tonne.

* The U.S. dollar was quoted about 107.58 yen, compared with around 107.54 yen on Monday afternoon.

* Oil prices eased on Tuesday as weak manufacturing data from Europe and Japan focused market attention on the gloomy outlook for demand and away from uncertainty around supply disruptions in Saudi Arabia.

* Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock average was up 0.09%.

* TOCOM's TSR 20 futures contract for March delivery closed at 153.9 yen per kg.

* The front-month rubber contract on Singapore's SICOM exchange for October delivery last traded at 132.4 U.S. cents per kg, down 0.7%.