SHANGHAI: Japanese rubber futures rose on Thursday, as persistent rainfall and lower exports from Southeast Asia’s top producers stoked concerns over tightening supply. The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for February delivery was up 7.8 yen, or 1.79percent, at 444.4 yen (USD2.79) per kg. The rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for January delivery rose 300 yuan, or 1.62percent, to 18,795 yuan (USD2,796.75) per metric ton.
The most active October butadiene rubber contract on the SHFE gained 315 yuan, or 2.24percent, to 14,355 yuan per metric ton. Rubber producing regions in China and Thailand are set to see continued rainfall this week, slowing the pace of new rubber supply, broker Shanghai Zhongqi Futures said in a note.
Top rubber producer Thailand’s meteorological agency warned of intense rains and potential flash floods from August 29 to September 1.
Vietnam’s combined exports of natural and mixed rubber fell 8.3percent year-on-year to 815,000 metric tons in the first seven months of 2026, with shipments to top rubber consumer China down 14percent to 547,000 metric tons, according to data from rubber information provider Qinrex.
Thailand’s combined exports of natural and mixed rubber fell 2.1percent year-on-year to 2.52 million tons over the same period, Qinrex data showed. However, a genuine supply reduction trend has yet to be established, Tianfeng Futures said, adding that rising domestic tyre consumption diverted Vietnam’s supply away from exports. The cumulative year-on-year growth of semi-steel tyre exports from January to July was 31.9percent, data from Vietnam Customs showed. The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange’s SICOM platform for November delivery last traded at 232.8 US cents per kg, up 1percent as of 0700 GMT.