KUALA LUMPUR—World consumption of natural rubber grew 5.2 percent in the first seven months of 2018, compared with growth of 3.7 percent in world NR supply, according to the July 2018 issue of Natural Rubber Trends & Statistics from the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Asian shares rose early on Monday, taking support from Wall Street’s gains on Friday after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said a gradual approach to raising rates was best to protect the U.S. economy and job growth.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices dipped slightly on Monday on concerns that a U.S.-China trade dispute will erode global economic growth, although looming U.S. sanctions against Iran’s oil sector kept crude from falling further, traders said.

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. (Reuters) - Increasing consensus at the Federal Reserve on the need to continue raising U.S. interest rates was on display at the start of a global central bankers meeting here, as the longstanding distinction between so-called policy hawks, centrists and doves blurs in the face of falling unemployment.

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. and Chinese officials ended two days of talks on Thursday with no major breakthrough as their trade war escalated with activation of another round of dueling tariffs on $16 billion worth of each country’s goods.