Kuala Lumpur: The Kuala Lumpur rubber market ended higher today, driven by concerns over tight supply due to wintering in natural rubber-producing regions, alongside gains in crude oil prices, said a dealer. Harvesting has reportedly ended in Vietnam and northeastern Thailand, while production of natural rubber in southern Thailand has dropped significantly, further reducing the global supply amid steady demand.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, further gains were capped by mixed advice from regional futures markets, influenced by concerns over United States trade tariffs and global trade tensions. Japanese rubber futures edged lower on Tuesday, impacted by concerns over US President Donald Trump's tariff plans, although losses were limited by prospects of tighter supply from top producer Thailand.

At the time of writing, Brent crude oil advanced by 0.27 percent to US$74.98 per barrel. As of 3 pm, the Malaysian Rubber Board reported that Standard Malaysian Rubber (SMR) 20 rose by 12 sen to 930.5 sen per kilogramme, while latex in bulk gained six sen to 703.5 sen per kilogramme.