• Rubber declined, paring a monthly gain, as futures in Shanghai slumped amid concern that China may tighten trading rules to curb excessive speculation and data showed Japan’s industrial production dropped at a faster pace.
• The most-active contract lost as much as 1.5 percent to 331.6 yen per kilogram ($4,122 a metric ton) before trading at 332.4 yen on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange at 11:19 a.m. Futures have gained 6.5 percent this month, heading for the best performance since August, and increased 20 percent this year.
• Futures in Shanghai tumbled amid speculation that China may take additional steps to curb raw materials prices. The Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange increased the margin requirement for rice, rapeseed oil, wheat and sugar trading on Oct. 26. The action came after the bourse said it would track “abnormal” trading and recommend investigation by watchdogs.
• “Caution about Chinese regulation was the largest drag on the price of rubber futures,” Takaki Shigemoto, an analyst at JSC Corp. in Tokyo, said today by phone.
• Chinese policy makers have grappled with rising consumer prices and property-price gains after record lending and a 4- trillion yuan stimulus package pumped up growth during the financial crisis. Consumer prices rose 3.6 percent last month.
• May-delivery rubber on the Shanghai Futures Exchange slumped as much as 4.8 percent to 30,765 yuan ($4,607) a ton before trading at 31,265 yuan at 10:15 a.m. local time. The price climbed to a record 33,320 yuan on Oct. 26.

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