Tokyo rubber futures fell more than 3 percent on Wednesday to their lowest level since October 2009, tracking a fall in Shanghai rubber prices that was triggered by fears that Chinese economic data due this week will be worse than expected. The most-active Tokyo Commodity Exchange rubber contract for January delivery fell 8 yen, or 3.5 percent, to settle at 219.2 yen per kg.
It earlier fell as low as 218.5 yen, breaking through below last month's trough of 222.4 yen. Global demand for natural and synthetic rubber is likely to rise 4 percent year-on-year to 27.7 million tonnes in 2013 as consumers start rebuilding inventories, the group said.
In other markets, the most-active rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange for January delivery fell 570 yuan to 22,135 yuan per tonne. The front-month September rubber contract on Singapore's SICOM exchange was last traded at 259.9 US cents per kg, down 10 cents.