* Japanese rubber futures inched higher on Friday, but were
on
track for a third consecutive weekly loss as traders fretted
about a cloudy global economic outlook and oil prices extended
falls.
* The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for August
delivery was up 1.7 yen, or 0.8%, at 205.8 yen ($1.58)
per kg, as of 0217 GMT.
* For the week, the contract has dropped about 1.3%.
* The rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange
(SHFE) for
May delivery was down 10 yuan, or 0.1%, at 11,710 yuan
($1,711.24) per tonne.
* Japan's benchmark Nikkei average opened down
0.19%.
* Japan's manufacturing activity contracted for a fifth
straight
month in March as output and new orders remained under pressure,
a survey showed, suggesting the economic recovery is fragile as
global demand slows.
* China will make efforts to stabilise automobile, consumer
electronics consumption, and expand home appliances and green
building materials consumption, the Ministry of Industry and
Information Technology said on Thursday.
* Oil prices fell, extending the previous day's losses, on
worries
about potential oversupply after U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer
Granholm said refilling the country's Strategic Petroleum
Reserve may take several years.
* Lower oil prices incentivise manufacturers to shift to
synthetic
rubber which is derived from oil, weighing on the natural rubber
market.
* Asian shares were lower as lingering banking stability
concerns
gripped Wall Street, while bonds bet the recent slew of rate
hikes by central banks will be among the last of the cycle,
allowing for policy relief later in the year.
* The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's
SICOM
platform for April delivery last traded at 130.8 U.S.
cents per kg, up 0.1%.
($1 = 130.5700 yen)
($1 = 6.8430 yuan)
(Reporting by Carman Chew; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
SINGAPORE, March 24 (Reuters) -
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