Advertisement
Advertisement
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 worker checks a diamond at a facility in China’s Henan province. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

Lab-made diamonds ride AI demand for chip cooling as China leads industrial boom

Exports surge in first half of year, as the superior heat dissipation of diamonds expands market beyond jewellery, positioning China for further growth.

China trade

July trade robust, fresh Chinese sanctions, Unitree IPO opens

Gold in Hong Kong

Gold’s price potential still ‘explosive’ amid Beijing hoarding

4
US-China trade war

Copper floods US as traders anticipate Trump tariffs while ‘Taco’ concerns loom

Traders ship more than 200,000 tonnes of the industrial metal into American ports in July to front-load anticipated levies, as fears of policy reversal persist.

videocam
Employees wind copper rods at a workshop that recycles copper in China’s Anhui province. Photo: AFP
China-Latin America relations

Cuban spy-base allegations, new Trump tariffs: 7 Latin America relations reads

From global soybean market updates to China’s best trade partners, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in July 2026.

Mainland China

China’s commodities footprint guards against global energy shocks: Goldman Sachs

Analysts at investment bank say Beijing has become de facto ‘volatility arbiter’ for global commodity markets.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
High Jewellery

How high jewellers turned to other metals in response to pricey gold

Designers like Cora Sheibani, Joy Bonfield-Colombara and Inesa Kovalova are exploring the properties and potential of various metals.

Flow earrings in titanium and 14k palladium gold, set with diamonds, blue sapphires and a pearl, by Inesa Kovalova. Photo: Handout
Gold in Hong Kong

HK’s gold imports set to rise after hitting 11-year high last month: analysts

Investor appetite, international precious metals trading hub ambitions drive growth as imports hit highest volume since late 2014.

China trade

China wants unique access to minerals with Indonesia offer, analyst says

Beijing may attempt to trade manufacturing assistance for access to Indonesia’s vast, export-restricted reserves.

13
China trade

China’s durian imports from Thailand, Malaysia soar as glut stresses growers

Chinese imports of the pungent fruit have increased by 47 per cent in the first half of 2026, prompting a sharp decline in prices.

Workers process durians for export to China in Lam Dong, Vietnam, as Southeast Asian exporters offloaded a glut of the pungent, spiky fruit, sparking a drop in prices. Photo: Xinhua
Banking & finance

What are ‘climate black swan’ events, and why are global investors so worried?

As the threat of a super El Nino disrupts Asia’s food market, global banks warn investors to prepare for sudden, unexpected climate shifts.

A farmer harvests rice crop in a paddy field on the outskirts of Guwahati, India. Experts warn El Nino may disrupt the global rice market. Photo: AP/File photo
US, Israel war on Iran

Red Sea shutdown risk looms as US-Iran tensions threaten another oil surge

Tehran puts Houthi militants on notice to close critical shipping lanes, threatening a fresh supply shock as Brent crude notches 21 per cent rally since early July.

videocam
11
Banking & finance

China’s resources deals turn gold mines into – gold mines

Chinese gold producers, after a buying spree for mines abroad, are cashing in as the metal’s price goes sky-high.

videocam
China trade

China’s imports from Africa surge after Beijing expands zero-tariff policy

China’s growing hunger for critical minerals partly drove the increase, but the tariff reduction is also fuelling trade in several new sectors.

videocam
Copper ingots are stacked ready for export at a facility in Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Connect scheme for gold shines light on China’s financial liberalisation

The Connect model has evolved from isolated reforms into a blueprint for China’s financial opening up, with Hong Kong as the bridgehead.

Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People’s Bank of China, delivers a keynote speech at the Hong Kong FIC & Bond Connect Summit at JW Marriott Hotel in Admiralty on July 7. Photo: Sun Yeung
Energy

Blockbuster earnings: how China’s lithium giants are cashing in on energy race

Soaring profits at Tianqi and Ganfeng highlight how global demand for energy independence is powering China’s lithium edge.

Artificial intelligence

Macroscope | Don’t expect the rising tide of AI to lift all boats

While economies linked to hi-tech supply chains may perform well, unequal outcomes and economic instability still loom for much of the world.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China trade

China issues temporary helium export ban as Iran war strains global supplies

The ban on shipments of the gas, a crucial raw material in semiconductors and other sectors, comes as Middle East conflict strains global supplies.

20
A container ship sails out of the port in Qingdao, in China’s eastern Shandong province. Photo: AFP
China’s private sector

Chinese firms look to strike gold in a volatile global metals market

Futures brokerages and exchanges aim to grow their market footprint and offer more efficient hedging tools in the global commodity market.

Banking & finance

Editorial | Gold, bond push boosts Hong Kong’s role in nation’s financial future

At a time of increasing global instability, Beijing needs to be a financial powerhouse to protect itself and others.

Banking & finance

China extends gold-buying binge to 20th month in Beijing’s de-dollarisation push

PBOC’s bullion holdings keep rising as forex reserves dip in June to US$3.42 trillion and the central bank seeks security from sanctions and US market volatility.

videocam
The People’s Bank of China said gold holdings rose to 75.44 million troy ounces (2,346 tonnes) at the end of June. Photo: dpa
Gold in Hong Kong

Hong Kong inaugurates trial operation of gold clearing and settlement system

Chief Executive John Lee announces ‘milestone’ for city’s gold trading ecosystem at Hong Kong FIC & Bond Connect Summit.

Gold bars and coins at a precious metals dealership. Photo: DPA
Electric & new energy vehicles

Beijing opens lithium futures to foreign traders to cement pricing power over US

Miners, battery makers and traders outside China can now trade lithium carbonate futures and options on the Guangzhou Futures Exchange.

China consumption

China unveils recycling push to bolster resource security, shore up green shift

The nation seeks to narrow the gap with regional peers such as Japan and South Korea by establishing a more comprehensive, granular recycling infrastructure.

videocam
Banking & finance

Exclusive | Hong Kong to launch gold clearing and settlement system next week: sources

The city plans to process its first gold settlement on Tuesday, according to those familiar with the matter.

Pure gold bars in Shanghai on March 15. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
China-Latin America relations

Aid for Venezuela, China-Colombia ties: 7 Latin America relations reads

From Argentina’s move towards Beijing to Lula’s beef deal, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in June 2026.

A Brazilian rescuer works in the aftermath of earthquakes in Venezuela. Photo: Reuters
China-Africa relations

Opinion | Beijing offers leverage for Africa. Policymakers are now applying it

Partnerships with China are no longer a debate for economies across the continent but a platform for their own development paths.

videocam
HKEX

Hong Kong vows stronger exchange with reforms, bond futures and gold push

Listing changes and new product launches are set to bolster Hong Kong’s role as a global financial hub, deputy finance chief says.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement