Tokyo rubber futures ended lower on Friday as a firm yen spurred selling, but steadier oil prices still lent support, dealers said. The Tokyo Commodity Exchange rubber contract for September delivery fell 3.4 yen to settle at 233.5 yen ($2.29) per kg. "The yen was quite firm today and that encouraged players to liquidate contracts ahead of the weekend to avoid risks," said a Bangkok-based dealer.
The most-active rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange for September delivery rose 45 yuan to finish at 15,680 yuan ($2,500) per tonne. The front-month rubber contract on Singapore's SICOM exchange for April delivery last traded at 187.0 US cents per kg, down 0.2 cent.