TOKYO, March 28 (Reuters) - Benchmark TOCOM rubber futures fell on Friday, putting the contract on track for a weekly dip, as support from higher crude oil prices were offset by Japanese currency moves and demand worries in top buyer China over the week.

FUNDAMENTALS

* The Tokyo Commodity Exchange rubber contract for September delivery JRUc6 0#2JRU: was down 4.1 yen at 232.8 yen per kg by 0051 GMT, putting the contract on course for an 0.8 percent fall for the week. The contract finished 0.7 yen lower on Thursday. ID:nL4N0MO1SI

* Japanese household spending fell 2.5 percent in February from a year earlier in price-adjusted real terms, the government data showed on Friday, in a sign that consumer spending weakened because a cold snap and severe snow storms. ID:nL4N0ML1PR

* The U.S. economy grew a bit faster than previously estimated in the fourth quarter and new claims for jobless aid dropped to a near four-month low last week, suggesting the economy has plenty of momentum to break out of its winter chill.

ID:nL1N0MO0JV

* For the top stories in the rubber market and other news, click TOP/CE , TOP/MACRO or RUB/T

MARKET NEWS

* The U.S. dollar was quoted around 102.04 yen JPY= early on Friday, essentially unchanged from overnight. FRX/

* Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock average .N225 fell 0.5 percent in Friday trade, as a flat finish on Wall Street overnight and the yen exchange levels weighed on the index.

MKTS/GLOB

* U.S. crude oil futures ticked up on Friday to put the contract on course for its biggest weekly gain in nearly two months following continued draws in petroleum inventories, geopolitical tensions and a pickup in U.S. economic growth.

O/N

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

* The following data is expected on Friday: (Time in GMT)

0700 Germany Import prices

0745 France Consumer spending

0745 France Producer prices

1000 Euro zone Economic sentiment

1230 U.S. Personal income

1300 Germany Consumer inflation

(Reporting by James Topham; Editing by Richard Pullin)

((james.topham@thomsonreuters.com)(+813 6441 1858)(Reuters Messaging: james.topham.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 

 ((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
  ))

Keywords: MARKETS ASIA/RUBBER