Key Tokyo rubber futures rose for a fourth day in a row on Thursday, clearing 300 yen in a rally helped by speculation over buying by China early next year while rubber producers have agreed to keep curbing their exports by March. The most active rubber futures contract on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) for June delivery rose 4.7 yen or 1.6 percent at 300.7 yen ($3.5) per kg.

The contract rose as high as 303.1 yen, the highest for any benchmark since May 8. Friday is the last trading day on TOCOM before trade resumes on January 4. The benchmark contract has risen 16 percent this month and 14 percent this year. The most-active rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange for May delivery rose 630 yuan to finish at 25,940 yuan ($4,200) per tonne. The front-month rubber contract on Singapore's SICOM exchange for January delivery last traded at 296.60 US cents per kg, up 2.3 cents.

Copyright Reuters, 2012