KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian rubber market is expected to trade range-bound with a biased tendency to trade slightly higher this week.
Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association immediate past president Denis Low anticipates another soft week for the rubber market as global uncertainties continue to prevail.
“There will be sporadic stock buying and replenishment activities based on current usage pertaining to those businesses still in operation.
“This may help to stabilise the prices and hold it steady,” he told Bernama.
Low said the explosion of Covid-19 cases in China has affected the businesses and manufacturing activities in the country while prolonging the economic recovery and impacting rubber consumption in China.
“The uncertainty of the current situation is causing a slow-down in rubber usage.
“Hence, without a full-scale recovery from every part of the world, it will be a long process for any economic sustainability,” he said.
Meanwhile, another dealer said the prices will continue to track the performance of regional rubber futures markets, the strength of the ringgit against the US dollar and benchmark crude oil prices amid growing optimism for China’s economic reopening and the potential for a slowdown in the United States interest rate hikes.
“Nonetheless, market operators will continue to monitor Covid-19 spikes in China and further cues on the United States monetary policy amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict,” he said.
For the week just ended, the Kuala Lumpur rubber market was traded mostly higher this week as sentiment was lifted by growing optimism for an economic boost from China’s reopening of its borders this week.
