Tokyo rubber futures settled mixed on Tuesday as caution over falling Japanese rubber stocks supported nearby months while technical selling dented forward-month contracts, brokers said.
The benchmark November rubber contract on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) closed down 0.4 yen per kg at 153.7, after trading between 152.9 and 154.5.
The spot June contract finished up 0.2 yen at 158.5, with other months ranging from 0.2 yen lower to 1.2 yen higher.
"Fresh selling of forward contracts gathered pace in the afternoon because they came close to key resistance at around 155 yen in the day," a Tokyo broker said.
Nearby months held steady, as data released on Tuesday confirmed tightness in domestic rubber supplies, he added.
Crude rubber stocks at private Japanese warehouses totalled 14,632 tonnes as of June 10, down from 15,268 tonnes on May 31, data from the Rubber Trade Association of Japan showed.
Crude rubber stocks in Japan have been declining since March 20, when stocks stood at 21,925 tonnes.
Brokers attributed the decline to healthy domestic demand and shipments of rubber to China, where a booming auto industry needs more rubber for tyre output.