RUBBER-Japan futures hit one-week high as improving demand outweigh Trump's tariff threat

SINGAPORE, Feb 13 (Reuters) -

• Japanese rubber futures snapped a three-day losing streak on Thursday, as improving demand in top consumer China and off-season production woes countered mounting trade war anxieties.

• The Osaka Exchange (OSE) July rubber contract JRUc6, 0#2JRU: was up 3.8 yen, or 1.03%, at 371.9 yen ($2.41) per kg as of 0213 GMT. Earlier in the session, prices hit 381.5 yen, their highest since February 5.

• The May rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) SNRv1 rose 160 yuan, or 0.91%, to 17,695 yuan ($2,421.78) per metric ton.

• The most active February butadiene rubber contract on the SHFE SHBRv1 fell 90 yuan, or 0.61%, to 14,550 yuan ($1,991.35) per metric ton.

• Foreign plantations are set to transition to their off-season production period, and there is an expectation of supply reduction, said Chinese consultancy Hexun Futures.

• Rubber crops usually undergo a season of low production from February to May, before a peak harvesting period that lasts until September.

• On the demand side, downstream factories are gradually resuming work, and purchasing is slowly increasing, Hexun added.

• Meanwhile, the U.S. dollar held near a one-week high against the Japanese yen on Thursday, last trading at 154.33 JPY=EBS USD/.

• A weaker currency makes yen-denominated assets more affordable to overseas buyers. FRX/

• Still, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would impose reciprocal tariffs as soon as Wednesday evening on every country that charges duties on U.S. imports, in a move that ratchets up fears of a widening global trade war.

• Last week, Trump imposed an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods, effective February 4, with Chinese countermeasures taking effect this week.

• The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's SICOM platform for March delivery STFc1 last traded at 198.8 U.S. cents per kg, down 0.6%.

($1 = 154.3300 yen)

($1 = 7.3066 Chinese yuan)