New York (HedgeCo.net) – While regulators in China have been cracking down and restricting stock trading on its exchanges, there has been an unintended consequence on copper trading.

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, trading in stock index futures have fallen 97% since July while trading in copper futures has jumped sharply during the same time frame. In the Chinese futures market, stock index futures trading used to average approximately 130,000 contracts per day and is now averaging around 65,000 contracts per day. Meanwhile, copper futures used to average around 360,000 contracts per day and are now averaging approximately 710,000 contracts per day.

There are several factors at work that have caused this surge in commodity trading. First, as Chinese investors have an increased appetite to bet on stock and commodity prices, the government has enacted regulations to limit such bets. The second factor at work here is the fact that China’s economy has grown so much in recent years that it is now the second largest economy and the actions of consumers and investors alike are wielding their influence.

Rick Pendergraft
Research Analyst
HedgeCoVest