Benchmark Tokyo rubber futures inched up on Monday, supported by technical buying, but gains were capped as investors continued to worry about weakening demand in top buyer China and the impact of the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal. The Tokyo Commodity Exchange rubber contract for March delivery finished 1.1 yen, or 0.6 percent, higher at 170.6 yen ($1.42) per kg, after recovering from a low of 169.4 yen.
The most-active rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange for January delivery fell 25 yuan to finish at 11,580 yuan ($1,818.47) per tonne. The front-month rubber contract on Singapore's SICOM exchange for October delivery last traded at 125.0 US cents per kg, down 0.8 cent.