RUBBER — Japan futures edge higher on firm Thai physical prices, tight supply

By Emily Ou Yong Oct 13 (Reuters) — Japanese rubber futures edged higher on Tuesday, supported by firmer Thai physical prices and signs of tight supply, even as weakness in top consumer China's auto sector weighed on market sentiment. The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for March delivery was up 3.1 yen, or 0.67%, at 462.9 yen ($2.92) per kg as of 0220 GMT. The market was closed on Monday for a holiday The rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for January delivery fell 110 yuan, or 0.53%, to 20,670 yuan ($3,087.70) per metric ton The most-active November butadiene rubber contract on the SHFE slumped 415 yuan, or 2.5%, to 16,185 yuan per ton Prices of Thailand's benchmark export-grade smoked rubber sheet (RSS3) and block rubber were up 1.34% and 1.03%, respectively Short-term natural rubber warehouse receipts remain low, far below levels in previous years, analysts from broker Guangzhou Futures said in a note Rubber inventories in warehouses monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell 0.2% from the last release on September 30, the exchange said on Friday Malaysia's natural rubber exports fell 18.2% month-on-month to 33,426 tons in August, even as producti