TOKYO—Natural rubber futures closed the trading week ended Nov. 17 with "modest gains across all exchanges," according to the Japan Exchange Group.
Although trading volume decreased, there were fresh buying flows, leading to increased open interest on most exchanges, JPX said in its weekly trading report Nov. 20.
In Osaka, Japan, OSE's new active April delivery rubber futures inched up by 0.6 percent week-on-week in "subdued trading." In China, SHFE and INE futures gained 0.5 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively, while Singapore's SICOM futures grew 2.0 percent due to "fresh speculative buying".
JPX linked the "firmness in rubber prices" to consumers-buying and year-end demand. The trend, it said, was further supported by the onset of the year-end rainy season in some producing countries.
The report also noted optimism with regards to improved rubber demand in China, driven by expectations of further economic recovery on recent interest rate cuts.
