Tokyo rubber futures closed mixed on Wednesday, with the benchmark contract easing on profit taking by fund operators.
The benchmark August 2004 rubber contract on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange settled down 0.3 yen per kg at 158.2 yen.
The nearby March contract rose by 1.7 yen and the April contract rose by 0.6 yen.
Other contracts fell by 0.9 to 1.3 yen. "It's selling by funds rather than any fresh incentives," a Tokyo broker said. He said the decline in Thai rubber prices this week also weighed on the market.
But Thai rubber prices are expected to bounce back in the next few days on expectations of tighter supplies.