Tokyo rubber futures fell about 1 percent to a three-week low on Thursday as a recovery in the yen against the dollar triggered active selling. The key Tokyo Commodity Exchange rubber contract for November delivery fell as low as 278.5 yen a kg the weakest for a benchmark contract since May 16.
The key contract has dropped 3 percent since hitting this week's high of 287.0 yen on Tuesday. Key TOCOM rubber dropped below the 100-day moving average of 280.7 yen.
It last dropped below a 100-day average on May 15. The November contract was trading at 279.8 yen, down 3.0 yen compared with Wednesday's close 0f 282.8 yen.
TOCOM rubber was pressure due to the yen's firmness and falls in other yen-based commodities. The yen advanced against the dollar in Asia after rising sharply the previous day, with investors exiting risky trades funded by borrowing cheaply in yen after seeing stock markets around the world weaken.
The key TOCOM gold contract for April 2008 delivery fell about 0.6 percent in trade. The Rubber Trade Association of Japan said on Wednesday crude rubber stocks held at Japanese warehouses fell 2.7 percent to a four-month low of 17,458 tonnes by the end of May from 17,941 tonnes on May 20. The latest inventory level was the lowest since January 31 when it was at 17,331 tonnes. It was little changed from the year-earlier level of 17,418 tonnes.
Rubber traders said the market was watching whether domestic stocks would fall sharply from the current level in the next several weeks. Last year, inventories had dropped sharply during the summer, boosting TOCOM rubber futures prices.