Rubber futures held steady at about 188 US cents per kilogram as traders weighed softening demand against seasonal constraints on supply. On the demand side, tyre production in China—the world’s largest rubber consumer—has slowed ahead of the Lunar New Year, raising concerns about near-term consumption. Earlier, pre-holiday restocking in China had supported demand, but rising inventories at Qingdao port now indicate that most purchasing for this period has been completed.
On the supply side, rubber tapping has largely wound down across most major producing countries in Southeast Asia, with Thailand the main exception, as plantations enter the off-season. Rubber trees typically undergo a short tapping window in late January, followed by a period of reduced output from February through May. Production then strengthens again during the main harvest season, which generally lasts until September.
