RUBBER — Japan futures gain as Thai exports fall, oil rebounds

By Emily Ou Yong Sept 28 (Reuters) — Japanese rubber futures edged higher on Monday, supported by a fall in exports from top producer Thailand and a rebound in oil prices, though gains were limited by weak tyre demand ahead of China's holidays. The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for March delivery was up 0.9 yen, or 0.2%, at 453 yen ($2.87) per kg, as of 0210 GMT. The rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for January delivery rose 85 yuan, or 0.44%, to 19,510 yuan ($2,905.57) per metric ton. The most-active November butadiene rubber contract on the SHFE gained 195 yuan, or 1.27%, to 15,570 yuan per ton. Prices of Thailand's benchmark export-grade smoked rubber sheet (RSS3) and block rubber were up 0.55% and 0.37%, respectively. Thailand's exports of natural rubber totalled 1.62 million tons in the first eight months of 2026, down 10% year-on-year, data from rubber information provider Qinrex showed. Production outside China is recovering slowly after persistent rainfall in major producing areas, while warehouse receipts for domestic rubber futures have declined continuously and remain low year-on-year, analysts from broker Huatai Futures said in a note..