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.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Illustration: Craig Stephens
China-Philippines relations

Opinion | Manila and Beijing can still choose cooperation over conflict

While violent clashes and bilateral disputes between Manila and Beijing have reached new heights, so can economic engagement.

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Banking & finance

Hong Kong should seize role in clean-energy commodities, think tank says

United States

Opinion | Trump’s Greenland gambit spotlights geopolitical tussle over the Arctic

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Malaysia

Chinese, Indian steel and iron hit with anti-dumping duties by Malaysia

The provisional duties, which took effect on January 11, also targeted iron and steel products from Japan and South Korea.

Ironworkers stand in front of a blast furnace. Photo: Shutterstock
Asean

Opinion | Why Southeast Asia’s participation in Brics matters

With Indonesia joining the grouping and Malaysia and Thailand as partner countries, Brics has acquired not just mineral-rich members but also key Asean voices.

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Climate change

Outside In | The industry is in crisis, but wine lovers should hold their panic

The future looks dire with consumption pivoting away, especially in China and France, and grape growers worldwide hit by climate change, but the wine sector is a long-term sector.

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Donald Trump

Canada’s leaders say Trump’s 51st state ‘joke’ isn’t funny any more

Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the US president-elect’s comments are meant to undermine his country’s closest ally.

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Donald Trump smiles at an election night watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida, in November. Photo: AP
United States

Opinion | Up in the air whether US economic arrows will hit the mark

If the Trump 2.0 team is as uncoordinated as Trump 1.0, we will see arrows flying everywhere.

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Indonesia

‘Palm oil is strategic’: Indonesia’s Prabowo calls for protection

Foreign countries are eyeing Indonesian palm oil as the ‘strategic material’ is crucial to their industries, President Prabowo Subianto says.

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Gold in Hong Kong

Gold could hit US$3,000 in 2025 amid continuing bull run

A recent World Gold Council survey showed 81 per cent of respondents expect central banks to bolster their gold reserves in the coming year.

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Gold has had a stellar year. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China relations

Trump expected to step up chase for key minerals after China restricts exports

President-elect will need to shift his ‘America First’ policy orientation to secure the supply chain crucial for defence and hi-tech.

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Outgoing US President Joe Biden has imposed export restrictions on 24 types of chipmaking equipment and three categories of software essential for semiconductor development. Photo: Shutterstock
Banking & finance

Macroscope | Cryptocurrency craze no match for gold’s enduring allure

Leaders and policymakers should not be swayed by calls to pivot to cryptocurrencies when gold is as strong as ever.

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China food security

Fertiliser on its way out, advanced tech is in, as China sees record farm yields

Modernisation efforts come as food-security stability grows more critical in China’s agrarian undertakings.

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China economy

China’s crop import curbs causing soybean shortage

Some soybean crushers in Dongguan in Guangdong province have had to suspend operations for the last three weeks, traders say.

Farmers harvest soybeans near Palo, Iowa, United States, on October 2, 2024. Photo: AP
Malaysia

Raids on illegal mines spotlight Malaysia’s lucrative rare earth ambitions

Malaysia’s crackdown highlights the challenges of managing rare earth resources amid rising global demand for green technology.

A Malaysian flag flies at the entry-point to a mining site in rural Pahang state in 2015. Photo: AFP
Banking & finance

Exclusive | Hong Kong’s potential as commodities hub draws expansion by Marex Group

The establishment of London Metal Exchange warehouses in Hong Kong will be a key enabler, Marex CEO says.

Saudi Arabia

Trillion-dollar ambition: Saudi Arabia accelerates metal mining plans

The kingdom has signed a slew of deals with Chinese, Indian and Australian companies amid growing interest in its massive mineral reserves.

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Business of climate change

Hong Kong’s status as aviation, maritime hub faces green fuel challenge

Hong Kong has to act fast if it wants to become a green fuel hub for the aviation and maritime sectors, as both Singapore and China are way ahead, analysts say.

Illustration by Henry Wong
Financial crime

Mitsubishi loses US$90 million in suspected China copper fraud

Mitsubishi dismissed Gong Huayong, a Shanghai-based copper trader at one of its China units, after finding that he had made unauthorised trades with local companies.

Australia

China-Australia beef over as Beijing lifts red meat ban on Canberra exports

Over the past two years, Beijing has dropped tariffs on Australian barley and wine, halted an import ban on timber and resumed shipments of coal.

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Business of climate change

Opinion | Indonesia can’t afford to abandon coal as it shifts to greener energy

Phasing down coal and investing in renewable energy can ensure energy security and economic stability while creating a greener future.

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Women sit on a hill overlooking the Suralaya coal power plant in Cilegon, Indonesia, in 2023. Photo: AP
Japan

‘Japan should be concerned’: Chinese seabed mining plan fuels resource race fears

A state-owned Chinese firm has reportedly secured exclusive rights for seabed exploration near the edge of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

A Chinese deep-sea mining ship undergoes a sea trial. Photo: Shanghai Jiao Tong University/Handout via Xinhua
China manufacturing

China wants to turn Xinjiang’s vast deserts into a string of pearls

Millions of pearls are already being harvested in the Taklimakan Desert, as China tries to turn the arid region into a hub for aquaculture.

Singapore

Singapore businessman faces trial over massive US$1.1 billion nickel scam

The ex-accountant, who spent millions on funding an extravagant lifestyle, is accused of raising money for trades that did not exist.

China-Africa relations

Chinese firms bet on African gold as prices surge in the face of uncertainty

Observers say mining investments in South Africa and Ghana could help Beijing weather geopolitical instability and potential sanctions.

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A Chinese-invested gold processing plant in Orkney, South Africa is expected to create 4,000 new jobs. Photo: X/ @buamogaetsho
China's economic recovery

China hits jackpot with discovery of ‘massive’ gold reserves in Hunan

The US$80 billion hoard is the latest fruit of China’s drive to find new domestic precious minerals reserves.

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Demand for gold has surged in China over the past two years, as consumers and investors react to domestic and global economic uncertainty. Photo: Shutterstock
Food and agriculture

Future-proofing rice: how Asia’s farmers are innovating against climate odds

From India to Vietnam, a new wave of innovation is transforming traditional rice farming into a resilient and eco-friendly industry.

South Africa

South African government won’t help thousands of illegal miners in closed mine

Police closed off the entrances for moving supplies underground, cutting off miners’ supplies to force them to resurface for arrest.

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