Kuala lumpur: The Kuala Lumpur rubber market ended lower on Monday, influenced by weaker-than-expected United States (US) labour market data, a dealer stated. US employment figures fell by 23,000 jobs in July, while previous job gains were revised lower. This has raised concerns regarding slowing economic activity and a potential decrease in commodity demand.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, market sentiment was further dampened by subdued inflation figures in China. China's consumer price index (CPI) growth slowed to 0.5 percent in July, while the producer price index (PPI) remained in deflation, declining by 3.5 percent. This reflects weak domestic demand and ongoing economic pressure in China.

The dealer mentioned that the decline in rubber prices was partially cushioned by lower rubber inventories monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE). SHFE rubber inventories fell by 0.7 percent week-on-week, indicating tighter stocks and providing some support for rubber prices.

At 3 pm, the price of Standard Malaysian Rubber 20 (SMR 20) rose by five sen to 904 sen per kilogramme (kg), whereas latex in bulk saw a decrease of 0.50 sen to 691 sen per kg.