Fuel oil front-month printed ¥3,929/t (-1.06%), a six-week low, while bitumen sat at ¥5,005/t (-0.87%), holding the bitumen–fuel oil spread at ¥1,076/t. With bunker demand shifting structurally from high- to low-sulphur and crude up a mere 0.12%, the pricing tension in fuel oil has moved from 'following crude' to 'bonded tank capacity and laycan rhythm'.

Natural rubber front-month at ¥18,750/t (+0.48%) is supported by weather disruptions across Southeast Asian peak-season regions and tight warehouse receipts, while butadiene rubber at ¥14,930/t (-0.27%) is weighed by softer butadiene feedstock. The spread has widened to ¥3,820/t; as tire demand enters a seasonal shift, SNSUC's rubber listings and bonded storage can hedge procurement-timing mismatches.

On Sep 3, Brent settled at $95.86/bbl (+0.14%) and WTI at $91.11/bbl (+0.14%), steadying after recent volatility. Downstream softened in tandem: fuel oil front-month at ¥3,929/t (-1.06%) and bitumen at ¥5,005/t (-0.87%); the bitumen–fuel oil spread narrowed to ¥1,076/t, down ¥70 from the Sep 1 high of ¥1,146, reflecting how accelerated quota release and faster documentation are compressing arb premiums.