Updates closing prices, adds analyst quote and details

SINGAPORE, July 22 (Reuters) -

• Japanese rubber futures closed higher on Monday, as top consumer China cut key rates to boost its fragile economy, while stronger synthetic rubber prices and supply concerns also lent support to the market.

• The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for December delivery JRUc6, 0#2JRU: closed up 4.5 yen, or 1.41%, at 323.5 yen ($2.07) per kg.

• The rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for September delivery SNRv1 inched down 5 yuan, or 0.03%, to finish at 14,550 yuan ($2,000.60) per metric ton.

• The most active September butadiene rubber contract on the SHFE SHBRv1 was up 125 yuan, or 0.86%, at 14,720 yuan ($2,023.98) per metric ton.

• China surprised markets by lowering a key short-term policy rate and its benchmark lending rates in an attempt to boost growth, as the country is verging on deflation and faces a prolonged property crisis, surging debt and weak consumer and business sentiment.

• Supporting natural rubber prices on Monday were also fresh concerns over supply amid heavy rainfall in top producer Thailand, said Jom Jacob, chief analyst at Indian analysis firm What Next Rubber.

• Abundant rainfall was observed in upper Thailand for almost the whole week from July 15-21, and heavy rains may cause flash flood and overflows on July 22, Thailand's meterological department said.

• The dollar slipped 0.03% to 157.435 yen JPY=EBS as investors gauged the implications of U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to end his re-election campaign and clear the way for another Democrat to challenge Donald Trump.USD/

• A stronger Japanese currency makes yen-denominated assets less affordable to overseas buyers. FRX/

• The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's SICOM platform for August delivery STFc1 last traded at 162.4 U.S. cents per kg, down 0.2%.

($1 = 156.5900 yen)

($1 = 7.2728 yuan)

Reporting by Gabrielle Ng; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Subhranshu Sahu

For morning and afternoon prices at Thailand's state-run central rubber market, click on RUB-BKK3.
For other physical rubber prices in Thailand, click on RUB-BKK1, RUB-BKK2.
For more details on Indonesian and Malaysian prices click on RURKJK and RUQG.
* Reuters Terminal users can see cash and futures rubber prices by double clicking on the codes in the brackets:

- Tokyo rubber futures -- 0#JRU:
- Shanghai rubber futures -- 0#SNR:
- Singapore rubber futures -- 0#SRS:0#SRU:0#STF:
- Thai rubber futures -- 0#ARU:0#ASR20:
- All rubber news RUB
- Tokyo rubber report RUB/T
- Shanghai rubber report RUB-CN
- Thailand rubber report RUB/TH
- Asian rubber report RUB/AS

For Related News and other topics, double click on one of these codes: SPEED GUIDES RUBBER1, SOFTS/NEWS1