TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar held firm versus the yen on Friday, supported by quarter-end buying as well as an absence of any fresh escalation in trade-related tensions between the United States and its major trading partners.

A tyre dealers’ federation has sought a cut in import duty of truck/bus radial tyres to 10%, against 15% now, and also rationalisation of anti-dumping duty.

The world consumption of natural rubber increased by 6.2%, year-over-year, to 5.822 million tonnes during the period from January to May 2018. During the same period, the world supply rose 7.7%, year-over-year, to 5.252 million tonnes.  These figures reveal that the production has fallen short of the consumption by 570,000 tonnes during the first five months of the current year.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. oil prices dipped away from three-and-a-half year highs on Thursday amid high output from Russia, the United States and Saudi Arabia, although unplanned supply disruptions elsewhere and record demand stemmed a bigger decline.

KUALA LUMPUR—World demand for natural rubber exceeded supply in the first five months of 2018, but the situation only had a marginal effect on pricing, according to the latest monthly figures from the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Wednesday as a supply disruption in Canada tightened the market and after U.S. officials told importers to stop buying Iranian crude from November.