Market and product

(Reuters) - The benchmark Tokyo rubberfutures slipped on Monday as investors liquidated contractsahead of Chinese economic data release to avoid risks, but firmoil prices and a weaker yen still lent support, dealers said.

The Tokyo Commodity Exchange rubber contract for Septemberdelivery was down 0.3 yen to settle at 233.2 yen($2.27)per kg.

"Players just sold contracts ahead of China's PMI datarelease. They would come back and buy rubber contracts again ifthe data is good," said a Bangkok-based dealer.

Traders said China's official manufacturing PMI survey dueon Tuesday will be closely watched after a recent string ofdisappointing data pointed to a slowdown in the world's secondbiggest economy.

However, dealers said TOCOM prices were still supported byweaker Japanese yen and firm oil prices.

The yen struggled to gain traction versus the dollar,staying at 102.84 yen on Monday as demand for thesafe-haven currency waned amid hopes of more stimulus fromChina.

Brent crude traded at a near two-week high - above $107 abarrel on Monday - as simmering tensions between Russia and theWest offset a rise in oil supply from OPEC's second-largestproducer Iraq.

The most-active rubber contract on the Shanghai futuresexchange for September delivery rose 140 yuan to closeat 15,745 yuan ($2,500) per tonne.

The front-month rubber contract on Singapore's SICOMexchange for April delivery was last traded at 182.0U.S. cents per kg, down 7.3 cents. ($1 = 102.9250 Japanese Yen) ($1 = 6.2122 Chinese Yuan)