Both rubber lines moved together today. Natural rubber's front month settled at ¥20,095/t, up ¥5.54, and butadiene rubber at ¥16,000/t, up ¥3.96. NR's strength tracks plantation weather and arrival timing; BR is pinned by butadiene supply and plant maintenance. Different drivers, same direction — a direct hit to the input sheet of tire and goods makers.

Bitumen went the other way, down ¥3.50 to ¥5,013/t. Road work is sliding into its seasonal lull, physical off-take is slow, and the backwardation between futures and spot has not loosened. Fuel oil held flat at ¥4,434/t, up just ¥0.36 — marine-fuel demand is steady and did not chase the crude move.

This split — crude up, rubber up, bitumen down — comes from heavy oil sharing a chain but not a terminal: one leg serves shipping and power, the other serves infrastructure. SNSUC covers both ends across its 13 categories, so quotes cannot assume one crack spread for all; they have to be broken out by end-use.