Benchmark Tokyo rubber futures hit a six-week high on Tuesday on the back of firm oil prices but pared gains by the close of the session as oil erased early gains. The Tokyo Commodity Exchange rubber contract for October delivery finished 5.4 yen higher at 233.1 yen ($2.10) per kg after hitting the highest since April 11 earlier at 235.4 yen.
The most-active rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange for September delivery fell 65 yuan to finish at 13,960 yuan ($2,026) per tonne, after hitting a near three-week high earlier. China's natural rubber imports last month gained 22.4 percent from a year earlier to 259,185 tonnes, official customs data showed on Tuesday.