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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.
Mining trucks load lithium sulphate in Atacama Salt Flat, Chile, on July 29, 2024. Photo: Anadolu via Getty Images
Zimbabwe

Tianqi Lithium favours China’s salt lakes over Africa amid resource nationalism

In response to Zimbabwe’s export ban, two Chinese companies have promised to build a domestic lithium sulphate plant.

Indonesia

Mixed bag: Indonesia’s 8% growth dream hits a plastic ceiling

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Food and agriculture

Outside In | The Iran war is brewing a food crisis we must avert

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US, Israel war on Iran

Is the US in decline? Why Iran war might be the surest sign

In going from international rule-maker to ‘predatory hegemon’, the US is risking it all, Chinese state media and observers warn.

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Chinese analysts say Washington’s reckless behaviour under President Donald Trump has alienated allies, weakened its credibility and eroded its global influence. Photo: Reuters
Semiconductors

Asia’s chipmakers feel the heat as naphtha crunch hits photoresist supply

Japanese suppliers warn of photoresist strain as upstream shocks ripple through Asia’s semiconductor supply chain.

China-Middle East relations

Opinion | China can offer Gulf states more than just a security umbrella

As threat perceptions reset, Gulf states are likely to pursue a dual track of restrained regional policy and diversified partnerships.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s durian growers in ‘survival mode’ as early glut squeezes export trade

An early bumper harvest and rising fuel and freight costs are squeezing premium durian exporters as they race to get their fruit into China.

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Fresh Musang King durians from Malaysia are displayed for sale in the supermarket in Beijing, China, on April 13. Photo: Simon Song
US, Israel war on Iran

Video | World’s top condom maker to raise prices over Iran war

Malaysian condom producer Karex plans to raise condom prices by up to 30%.

Food and agriculture

Asia braces for food shortages as ‘super El Nino’ and Iran war collide

A precarious planting season looms amid suppressed rainfall and soaring fertiliser costs threatening the region’s harvests.

China-Africa relations

Why China is backing nuclear fuel rod production in Namibia

On week-long trip to China, Namibian minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi pitches investment case to business leaders in Shenzhen.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets his Namibian counterpart, International Relations and Trade Minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, in Beijing on April 17. Photo: Xinhua
China energy security

China confronts Middle East supply shock, as State Council mulls energy strategy

Premier Li Qiang urges ‘bottom-line mentality’ to secure power as Beijing sees coal and Russian gas among options to offset reliance on imported crude.

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Premier Li Qiang presides over a State Council group study session on energy development on Monday. Photo Xinhua
US-China trade war

US firms dash to recover tariffs paid on Chinese imports as refund system starts

Companies scramble on Monday to recover illegally collected tariffs from US government as thousands rush to file claims.

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Banking & finance

Liquid courage: Hong Kong fund pitches whisky as alternative investment

Fund pitches spirit as hedge and sees downturn as a rare entry point, citing emotional buying and shifting consumption trends.

South Africa

Trump backs US$50 million investment for South Africa rare earths

Despite a rift with South Africa, the current Trump administration has proceeded with the project to broaden US access to critical minerals.

President Donald Trump shows pictures during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, US, on May 21 last year. Photo: TNS
Hong Kong economy

Letters | Amid elevated oil prices, Hong Kong’s stable energy system is a boon

Readers discuss the city’s electricity regime, the significance of Russian oil, and the KMT leader’s visit to mainland China.

The night view of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, taken from The Peak in August 2025. Photo: Sam Tsang
China food security

‘Sharp swings’: why China is warning of food security risks despite bumper crops

The country has ample grain supplies but could still face challenges if extreme weather or global conflict spark global shortages, Beijing says.

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Business of climate change

Asia-Pacific firms face credit pressure from Iran war energy shock, S&P says

Higher energy prices ratchet up pressure on manufacturing businesses to maintain their profit margins amid rising raw material costs.

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Malaysia

‘New normal’: Malaysia and Australia strike energy supply pledge amid Iran war

The deal creates a mutual spillover valve, allowing the partners to swap surplus energy once domestic demand is satisfied.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim meet at a press conference in Putrajaya on Thursday. Photo: AAP/dpa
Hong Kong

Geopolitics to drive Hong Kong mining fundraising amid ‘supercycle’, experts say

Hong Kong could see more mining IPOs as global demand for resources accelerates, though national security issues may slow deals: experts.

China-Japan relations

The next frontier: China maps seabed resources as Japan races to tap rare earths

Atlas charts location, concentration and distribution patterns of dozens of elements in seabed sediments.

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China energy security

US officials claim China is ‘hoarding’ oil. What does the data say?

While US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China is stockpiling crude amid the Iran war, the numbers suggest Beijing is facing a supply crunch.

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A woman walks past a giant billboard reading “The Strait of Hormuz remains closed” at Revolution Square in Tehran, Iran. Photo: TNS
Banking & finance

Editorial | Hong Kong has a gilt-edged opportunity to shine as gold trading hub

The rapid loss of confidence in the US opens the door for China and especially Hong Kong.

A dealer displays gold bars in a shop in Dubai’s Gold Souk on April 13. Photo: AFP
China-Latin America relations

China and the US want rare earths. Brazil will share – on one condition

Move comes as Washington locks US$565 million deal with Brazil’s only operating rare earth mine.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Asia’s energy supply at breaking point as US blockades Hormuz

Nearly 90 per cent of the region’s crude oil is now at risk as stalled peace talks and a naval stand-off raise the spectre of stagflation.

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China energy security

China turns to central Asia as US blockade in Hormuz chokes global energy flows

Chinese vice-premier to visit major gas field in Turkmenistan as Beijing aims to shore up energy security and diversify away from volatile maritime routes.

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In this 2013 image, President Xi Jinping stands alongside a model of the purification plant in Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh gas field during an opening ceremony. Photo: Getty Images
China trade

‘Cancelling orders’ in China: Hormuz oil crisis hits transport and manufacturing

Analysts and industry insiders say higher costs are squeezing margins, with some of China’s wary industrial heartland compelled to make day-to-day purchases.

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Employees work on an assembly line producing smartphone holders at a plastic-accessories factory in China’s Guangdong province earlier this month. Rising oil prices are driving up production costs for plastic manufacturers. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Hong Kong’s rare, speedy response to fuel price surge shows preparedness

The short-term diesel subsidies and toll cuts included in the government package are expected to cost HK$1.96 billion.

China inflation

China’s factory-gate prices rise for first time in 3 years as Iran war bites

The producer price index rose by 0.5 per cent in March, the first increase since 2022, as soaring global commodity prices affected Chinese firms.

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