Japanese rubber futures rose for the second straight session on Wednesday, buoyed by expectations of tighter supply due to heavy rains in top producer Thailand and strong automobile sales data from the U.S. and China.
The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for December delivery 
TRB1!, TRB1! was up 0.4 yen, or 0.13%, at 312.2 yen ($2.17) per kg as of 0245 GMT.
The rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for September delivery RSS31! rose 140 yuan, or 1%, to 14,115 yuan ($1,969.83) per metric ton.
The most active August butadiene rubber contract on the SHFE (SHBRv1) gained 30 yuan, or 0.27%, to 11,250 yuan ($1,570.00) per metric ton.
Top rubber producer Thailand’s meteorological agency warned of heavy rains and accumulations that could cause flash floods and overflows from July 1-6.
Toyota, the largest automobile maker in the world, reported 7.2% higher second-quarter U.S. sales from a year ago.
Meanwhile, after consecutive increases in April and May, China’s heavy-truck sales rose by about 29% compared to the same period last year, said broker Everbright Futures.
Automobile sales could influence the intensity of automobile manufacturing, which involves using rubber-made tyres.
Still, rubber producing areas have gradually reached full capacity, raw material prices have fallen, and rubber inventories have accumulated slightly, Everbright added.
In currency markets, the dollar was up 0.1% against the yen 
USDJPY at 143.59, following a 0.4% dip in the previous session.
A weaker Japanese currency makes yen-denominated assets more affordable to overseas buyers.
Japan’s Nikkei 
NI225 fell 0.78%, dragged by tech stocks.
The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange’s SICOM platform for August delivery TF1! last traded at 164.9 U.S. cents per kg, down 0.1%.