TOPIC

Commodities

Commodities
Commodity market action from around the world with a focus on the commodities that matter most to investors in Hong Kong and China.
A combine harvests a soybean field in Tracy, Minnesota, in October. Photo: TNS
US-China relations

China buys two-thirds of pledged US soybeans as 2025 closes

Beijing has moved to reduce tariffs on the crop and lifted import bans on three US exporters after talks between Xi and Trump.

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China trade

China’s January 1 silver curbs to deepen global crunch amid volatility: analysts

China-Africa relations

How Algeria could help China plug iron ore gaps and gain pricing power

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China-Russia relations

Russian LNG shipments to China surge 143% in November, overtaking Australia

Russian LNG accounted for 23.5 per cent of China’s total shipments, cementing Russia as its top energy partner after President Xi pledged deeper ties.

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A liquified natural gas storage tank is seen at a receiving terminal in China’s Jiangsu province. Photo: Reuters
China economy

Opinion | Why China has moved to curb steel exports

China’s pivot to emerging markets has kept its export machine running. But frictions are growing and steel is the most visible flashpoint.

Japan

Macroscope | Japan’s economic security push heralds rising protectionism in Asia

The emphasis on securing supply chains and stockpiling critical resources is no substitute for free and open trade and investment.

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China economy

China discovers Asia’s largest undersea gold deposit

Country has been steadily stepping up mineral exploration, with nearly 450 billion yuan invested since 2021.

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China is on the hunt for gold, and a string of finds suggests that the nation’s reserves may be substantially larger than previously estimated. Photo: AFP
China trade

China jails antimony smugglers in tough stance on critical minerals

Dozens convicted of illegally shipping 166 tonnes of the strategic material, marking a major enforcement of Beijing’s export controls.

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China trade

China bets big on copper processing, but ‘weaponisation’ risks are low: analysts

Beijing views copper as critical for EVs and AI, but a reliance on imported ore limits China’s ability to use the strategic metal as leverage.

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Brazil

Chinese mining giant CMOC buys four Brazilian gold mines to expand

CMOC will own the Aurizona, RDM, Fazenda and Santa Luz mines, with 8 tons of combined annual gold output.

Gold seams at the Al-Amar Gold Mine, 195 kilometre southwest of the Saudi capital Riyadh on May 28, 2008. Photo: AFP
China consumption

Forging ahead: China’s copper heartland vows to build US$28 billion empire

Shandong province plans to create a world-class smelting hub by 2027 to secure supply chains for the strategic metal as prices sizzle.

Employees wind copper rods in July at a workshop that recycles copper in China’s Anhui province. Photo: AFP
China trade

China’s food-security push to slash soy imports by two-thirds: Goldman Sachs

Beijing is lowering feed content and making related advancements that analysts say could reduce China’s foreign-soybean dependence dramatically within a decade.

China-Africa relations

First China ore shipment rewards Guinea leader’s push for Simandou alliance

Mining minister says China and Rio Tinto were pressed to work on shared infrastructure because ‘we do not want railways running everywhere’.

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China manufacturing

From steel to space: China giant sells first 2 satellites in bold pivot

Once forging steel for skyscrapers, Jigang Group is now in a race to the skies with Geely and 90,000 other Chinese companies.

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A rocket launchpad is seen amid flags at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on October 30. China’s commercial space industry is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Photo: EPA
US Federal Reserve

Silver surge outpaces gold on global squeeze, rising interest rate-cut hopes

White metal doubles in value this year to reach record high, outshining gold’s 60 per cent rise.

Silver, like gold, has been boosted by increased expectations that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this month. Photo: May Tse
Mainland China

Mainland Chinese miner Zijin’s founder who built US$100 billion firm retires

Chairman Chen Jinghe, 68, will become honorary chairman and senior consultant; he says it is the best time to transition to a new leadership.

Indonesia

Indonesian durian sellers smell big opportunity in China, world’s largest market

In 2024, Indonesia exported US$1.8 million worth of the fruit to Thailand and Hong Kong, and began shipping fresh durians to China this year.

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Shanghai

Shanghai launches state-owned commodities trading firm to rival Trafigura

Through Shanghai Guomao, the city aims to build a ‘new, internationalised commodity trading and investment platform’.

Shanghai is mainland China’s major financial hub and home to bourses such as the Shanghai Futures Exchange. Photo: Shutterstock
Banking & finance

Gold prices could hit record highs of over US$4,900 next year: forecasts

Several banks project gold prices could rise above US$4,900 per ounce in 2026, with US rate cuts and central bank buys keeping demand strong.

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China consumption

China’s liquor capital faces long march to rebirth as ‘liquid gold’ glory wanes

In Maotai town, baijiu producers diversify offerings while expanding to markets such as Hong Kong and Southeast Asia amid a culture shift and economic challenges.

Mergers & Acquisitions

BHP drops Anglo American bid again as rival rejects new proposal

BHP made the approach just weeks before shareholders from Anglo and Teck vote on a merger deal.

The logo of Anglo American is seen on a jacket of an employee at the Los Bronces copper mine in Chile. Photo: Reuters
China-Russia relations

China buys Russian LNG at record-high levels, steep discounts as West retreats

Beijing capitalises on discounted energy, securing unprecedented Russian shipments in October while global sanctions reshape trade flows.

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A liquified natural gas (LNG) storage tank and workers are seen at a receiving terminal in China’s Jiangsu province. Photo: Reuters
India

Trump exempts Indian items from tariffs amid rising consumer costs

Rising US grocery prices have led to exemptions for dozens of food items from Washington’s reciprocal tariffs.

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US-China relations

Opinion | In ‘soybean diplomacy’ with the US, China now holds the remote control

China, no longer reliant on US soybeans, has leverage: resuming purchases to calm tensions or cutting them when relations fray.

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IPO

Morgan Stanley faces US scrutiny over Zijin Gold’s Hong Kong IPO

Zijin Gold’s parent was added to a US government list of firms whose imports are banned over alleged human rights abuses involving Uygurs.

Morgan Stanley assisted with Zijin Gold’s Hong Kong IPO in September. Photo: dpa
United States

Bananas and beef: White House unveils Latin America trade deals

Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador and El Salvador have agreed to open their markets to US products in exchange for tariff relief on some items.

Handlers shake hands at the livestock market in Canuelas, Argentina’s main cattle trading hub, in October. Photo: AP
Rare earths

Baotou set to become China’s rare earth hub under Inner Mongolia’s 10-year plan

Initiatives include a boost to mining, refining and magnet production to supply new-energy industry and global markets while firms and nations race to diversify.

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US-China trade war

Explainer | Rare earths, chips and batteries – what China can and cannot weaponise

Experts explore how China balances export curbs with legal reforms as global partners diversify supplies, firms hunt rare-earth alternatives.

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