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.
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Greenland

Opinion | Greenland’s stress test of Nato will ripple beyond the Arctic

Greenland is a test case for how alliances handle sovereignty and trust amid great power rivalry, with important consequences for Asia.

US-Venezuela conflict

Opinion | Why the US really wants Venezuela’s oil

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US-China relations

Can US-led bloc ease China’s ‘vice-like grip’ on rare earths?

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Banking & finance

Chinese banks lure investors with gold-linked deposits amid soaring prices

Such products may offer better returns than fixed deposits, but these investments are not without risks, analyst says.

Banks in China are offering investors gold-related products as an alternative for them to diversify their portfolios. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

China dumps more US debt, buys other assets as Trump targets Powell

Beijing’s Treasury holdings hit a September 2008 low, and analysts point to fears over Fed independence and debt sustainability, while gold’s appeal rises.

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Rare earths

US lawmakers propose US$2.5 billion agency to boost production of rare earths

The US is moving to reduce reliance on China after Beijing used its dominance in critical minerals to gain leverage in the trade war.

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US-China trade war

Trump sets 180-day deadline to counter China’s control of critical minerals

US government warns global suppliers to negotiate agreements to secure reliable, diversified supplies for the US or face new trade hurdles.

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In a proclamation signed on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump declared that the US’ reliance on foreign-processed critical minerals poses a national security threat. Photo: Reuters
Venezuela

Supertankers sailing to pick up Venezuelan oil for China make U-turn: ship data

The Xingye and Thousand Sunny, which have not been the subject of sanctions, head back to Asia after weeks of idling in the Atlantic.

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United States

Editorial | What happens next in Venezuela should be of international concern

If the US can take over the running of a country in this way, it could be the beginning of a slippery slope.

United States

China and US coexistence in Venezuela possible, US energy chief says

Chris Wright sees a constructive role for Beijing but insists Washington must remain the dominant force controlling Venezuela’s oil flows.

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US Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright attends an event in New York City in September 2025. Photo: Reuters
Mergers & Acquisitions

China’s Sinopec, CNAF to undergo consolidation, creating energy powerhouse

State Council approves reorganisation between Sinopec and China National Aviation Fuel Group, state asset regulator says.

A Sinopec worker walks past LNG storage tanks in Tianjin, China. Photo: Reuters
China-EU relations

Explainer | Trump says Greenland is ‘surrounded’ by Chinese ships. What’s the real story?

China has engaged with Greenland in areas ranging from oil and minerals to tourism. But its footprint is far smaller than Trump claims.

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United States

Opinion | Why Asia should be concerned about the US attack on Venezuela

Venezuela matters less as a case in itself than as a signal of how energy is being repositioned amid intensifying US-China competition.

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United States

Opinion | The US now owns more than just Venezuela’s oil

A hard lesson in foreign policy comes to mind: if you break it, you own it. America is now responsible for Venezuela’s failures, factions and future grievances.

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A woman reacts as government supporters gather, after US President Donald Trump said the US had struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 3. Photo: Reuters
US-Venezuela conflict

Not just oil: is Trump’s Venezuela takeover also about critical minerals?

Venezuela, Greenland and Colombia all have large deposits of rare earths and other minerals needed by US technology and defence companies.

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US President Donald Trump, flanked by senior members of his administration, speaks to the press following American military strikes on Caracas, Venezuela. Photo: TNS
US-Venezuela conflict

What assets does China have in Venezuela, and what may happen with Maduro gone?

US move calls into question China’s future financial commitments in Latin American country, potentially hurting Beijing’s regional strategy.

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US-Venezuela conflict

Gold, oil jolted by US assault on Venezuela as investors recalibrate

Gold and oil move in opposite directions as attack underscores gold’s haven value, fails to alter oil market’s supply glut.

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Banking & finance

US dollar, gold rise after Maduro abduction as investors seek safe havens

Yuan also remains relatively resilient as analysts predict the Chinese currency could strengthen to as high as 6.8 against the US dollar in 2026.

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Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro is escorted from a US federal aircraft in New York on January 3, after being captured during a US military operation. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia

Gold rush: Malaysia’s Kelantan to let poor residents dig for precious metal

The move comes as gold prices soared and videos of local Kelantanese panning for the metal were shared online.

Indonesia

New ‘command economy’? Indonesia seizes land the size of Switzerland

Prabowo Subianto’s government has taken over 4 million hectares of plantations and mines since last January.

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China energy security

Maduro capture: is the US trying to grab control of the global oil market?

Removal of Venezuelan leader could be part of US effort to regain global pricing power as petrodollar system comes under strain: analysts.

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In a photo released by the White House, US President Donald Trump monitors American military strikes on Venezuela from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on June 3. Photo: AP
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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A combine harvests a soybean field in Tracy, Minnesota, in October. Photo: TNS
China trade

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

Beijing’s new export-licensing system seen squeezing foreign buyers, pushing price towards US$100 an ounce; Elon Musk joins warning chorus.

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China-Africa relations

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

The Gara Djebilet deposit in the Sahara Desert was discovered decades ago but is only now coming into production.

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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.

A worker stacks steel products meant for the export market at a factory in Binzhou, Shandong province, China on April 15. Photo: AFP
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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