KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—The world supply of natural rubber fell 8.3 percent to nearly 5.9 million metric tons during the first half of 2019, on a year-to-year basis, according to figures released by the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries.
Global demand for the commodity rose 0.8 percent to 6.933 million tons during the same reference period, ANRPC said in an Oct. 18 statement.
Despite the presence of "favorable market fundamental," particularly in the physical rubber market, other external factors such as uncertainties created by the China-U.S. trade war, rising tension in Middle East and the slowdown in Chinese economy, weighed in on the market, the association noted.
"The worries over the escalated trade war tension between China and (the) U.S. has made the traders remain conservatives in trading position," it noted.