* Japanese rubber futures retreated in early trade on
Thursday
after a slight bounce in the previous session, tracking easing
oil prices and sustained weakness in Japan's economic output.
* The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for September
delivery was down 2.9 yen, or 1.4%, at 209.8 yen
($1.60) per kg, as of 0214 GMT.
* The rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange
(SHFE) for
September delivery fell 10 yuan, or 0.1%, at 11,815 yuan
($1,717.70) per tonne.
* Japan's benchmark Nikkei average opened down
0.81%.
* Economic output for Japan ran below full capacity for the
11th
straight quarter in October-December, central bank data showed
on Wednesday, suggesting that conditions for ending ultra-low
interest rates have yet to fall into place.
* Oil prices eased in early Asian trade after weak U.S. job
openings data signalled cooling economic conditions, which may
hit fuel demand.
* Lower oil prices incentivise manufacturers to shift to
synthetic
rubber derived from oil, pressuring the natural rubber market.
* Asian stocks and U.S. equity futures sank on Thursday
while
bonds and the safe-haven U.S. dollar and Japanese yen were bid
as mounting evidence of a U.S. slowdown fuelled worries for a
global recession.
* The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's
SICOM
platform for May delivery last traded at 134.8 U.S.
cents per kg, down 0.1%.
($1 = 131.0400 yen)
($1 = 6.8784 yuan)
(Reporting by Carman Chew; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
SINGAPORE, April 6 (Reuters) -
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