The year of 2006 turned out to be a big year for the development
of futures business in China, according to statistics provided by
the China Futures Association (CFA).
According to the sources, 449.48 million futures deals were done
nationwide in the year ending Friday, with the volume of business
exceeding 21 trillion yuan (about US$2.63 trillion), up 39 percent
and 56 percent on a year ago.
Fifty-three percent of the futures deals, or 240 million
transactions, were carried out at Dalian maize and soybean Futures
Exchange, up 21.35 percent on a year ago. Maize and soybean futures
deals were worth 5.22 trillion yuan, up 9.99 percent on a year
ago.
The other three main futures markets are the Shanghai
non-ferrous metals and rubber futures, Zhengzhou wheat and cotton
futures in central China's Henan Province, and China's financial
futures derivatives exchange.
China financial futures derivatives exchange, created on Sept. 8
this year in Shanghai, will start doing business early next
year.
(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2006)