KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian rubber market is expected to maintain range-bound trading this week with a bias towards being slightly lower due mainly to the slower-than-expected activities with regards to the global recovery process.

       Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association immediate past president Denis Low (pic) said the market was anticipated to be sluggish this week with sporadic buying for restocking purposes.

       “It is expected that nations across the world will reset the button for industries, businesses and schools to restart but while the desire is there, it will be a rather long process.

       “Thus, in the interim, we have to live under a recovery process rather than a full scale economic dynamism,” he told Bernama.

       Moreover, Low said, there was the continuous rain in rubber-producing regions.

       According to him, this has, to a certain extent, caused lower rubber industry productivity and helped to stabilise prices.

       “The biggest users of bulk latex, which are the rubber glove makers, are currently experiencing a slowdown in demand and this may continue into the next quarter,” he added. — Bernama