Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian rubber market extended its mixed performance at the close today, in tandem with regional rubber futures markets and crude oil prices, a dealer said. He noted that the progress of US-China trade talks helped to support market sentiments, as US and Chinese officials announced a framework to move forward on a trade deal after high-level talks in London, focusing on rare earths and chip export restrictions.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, most Asian stocks rose on Wednesday, with Chinese markets leading amid optimism over a trade framework agreement with the US. However, investors were still awaiting more details on the trade talks. The dealer mentioned that further gains were limited by weaker global economic prospects due to ongoing US tariff uncertainties. On Tuesday, the World Bank reduced its global growth forecast for 2025 to 2.3 percent, citing higher tariffs and increased uncertainty as significant obstacles for nearly all economies.

Additionally, reports indicated that the US Federal Reserve is expected to maintain interest rates for at least a few more months as risks persist that inflation could rise again because of US President Donald Trump's tariff policies. At 3 pm, the Malaysian Rubber Board reported that the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) increased by 2.5 sen to 709.00 sen per kilogramme (kg), while latex in bulk decreased by three sen to 587.50 sen per kg.