MAJOR RUBBER PRODUCERS TO MEET IN SINGAPORE
  Officials from Indonesia, Malaysia,
  Singapore and, perhaps, Thailand will meet here tomorrow to
  discuss increased regional cooperation on rubber marketing and
  ways to raise rubber prices, industry sources said.
      The officials will discuss linking rubber markets in the
  four countries to improve price transparency, the sources said.
      This is the first time Indonesia is attending such a
  meeting, they said, but representatives from Thailand may not
  be able to attend because of their tight schedule. Malaysia,
  Indonesia and Thailand account for 90 pct of world rubber
  exports and Singapore is a major regional rubber trading
  centre.
      The Malaysian Rubber Futures market, freighting and
  contracts for rubber are among other issues expected to be
  discussed.
      Last month, rubber importing and exporting countries
  adopted a new International Natural Rubber Agreement in Geneva.
  The new pact is more responsive to market trends than its
  predecessor, the sources said, and earlier provisions allowing
  the buffer stock to borrow from banks have been eliminated.
  

