RUBBER-Japan futures close lower as oil prices, commodity rally ease

By Ruth Chai

Feb 2 (Reuters) -

• Japanese rubber futures ended lower for a second consecutive session on Monday, weighed down by a cooling in the broad-based commodities rally and lower oil prices.

• The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for July delivery JRUc6, 0#2JRU: was down 1.2 yen, or 0.35%, at 343.3 yen ($2.22) per kg.

• The rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for May delivery SNRv1 fell 620 yuan, or 3.73%, to 15,980 yuan ($2,299.08) per metric ton.

• The most active March butadiene rubber contract on the SHFE SHBRv1 fell 670 yuan, or 4.94%, to 12,900 yuan per metric ton.

• Commodities markets slumped, led by deep losses in gold, silver, oil and industrial metals as the choice of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair set off a wave of selling in risk assets that sent precious metals tumbling for a second session.

• Oil prices fell nearly 5%, heading for the steepest single-session decline in more than six months, after U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran was "seriously talking" with Washington, signalling de-escalation with an OPEC member. O/R

• Natural rubber often takes direction from oil prices as it competes for market share with synthetic rubber, which is made from crude oil.

• Profit-taking by Chinese fund managers and short-covering led to a sharp increase in trading volume, while open interest on the Shanghai exchange fell sharply amid month-end position adjustments, the Japan Exchange Group said in a report on Monday.

• Overall rubber prices remained firm, supported by the recent rally in broader commodity markets such as copper and crude oil, the report added.

• OSE ribbed smoked sheet stocks in December 2025 have also declined to around 2,000 metric tons, their lowest in six years, according to data from the Japanese Exchange Group.

• The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's SICOM platform for March delivery STFc1 last traded at 184.7 U.S. cents per kg, down 2.3%, as of 0709 GMT.

($1 = 154.6000 yen)

($1 = 6.9506 yuan)