SHFE accelerates opening-up with two products open to overseas traders

SHANGHAI, April 22 (Xinhua Silk Road) -- The Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) officially introduced overseas traders to participate in the trading of its nickel futures and options, starting from the continuous trading session on the evening of Tuesday, a move showing its continuous efforts for opening-up to global investors.

These two products are also opened to qualified foreign investors (QFIs) concurrently. On the same day, the Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE), a subsidiary of SHFE, listed TSR 20 options and Bonded Copper options, both as Specified Domestic Products opened to overseas traders and QFI-accessible products.

Nickel futures and options are the SHFE's first futures and options products that are open to overseas traders. The internationalization of nickel futures and options is a key step by the SHFE to align with global trends in the nickel industry and support high-quality development of the real economy.

The global nickel market is currently undergoing accelerated evolution in terms of mineral resources, production, and consumption, leading to a significant increase in risk management demands among nickel industry enterprises.

It is learned that the introduction of overseas investors will further optimize the market structure of the SHFE's nickel futures and options, enhance their market depth and liquidity, provide efficient price risk management tools for global nickel industry chain enterprises, and help ensure the stable operation of the industrial and supply chains.

The successful internationalization of nickel futures and options, along with the smooth listing of TSR 20 options and Bonded Copper options, represents the collective wisdom and endeavors of many parties and marks an important step in the opening of the SHFE and in enhancing pricing benchmarks of major commodities, according to Tian Xiangyang, chairman of the SHFE.

Going forward, the SHFE will continue to improve its product matrix, optimize rules and regulations, strengthen market cultivation, deepen two-way opening-up, steadily enhance the operational quality of the futures market and its ability to serve the real economy, and intensify efforts to accelerate the building of a world-class exchange, Tian added. (Edited by Hu Pingchao)