Dalian Commodity Exchange - Structure and Function

Structure and Function

The exchange has the deepest liquidity pool among all Chinese Commodity Futures Exchanges. According to the Futures Industry Association, the bourse has been the largest mainland futures exchange by volume for eight years, half the domestic market share in 2007, and captures roughly 2% of global futures market share (including financial futures). A near-tripling in volumes of its benchmark corn future in 2006 saw the contract leapfrog the DCE soy complex to become the single-largest product, with the 65m traded, trailing only Nymex WTI Crude in the global commodity rankings. According to the Futures Industry Association, DCE is the second largest agricultural futures bourse in the world, with a 29% market share. In 2007, total trading volume and turnover reached 371 million contracts and RMB 11.97 trillion (1.67 trillion USD). As of November 2007, the exchange had 194 members – including 180 brokers, with a reach of more than 160,000 investors. Louis Dreyfus became the first foreign member in June 2006.

At present, soybeans, soy meal, soy oil corn, palm oil, linear low density polyethene (LLDPE) futures are traded on the DCE. The introduction of LLDPE in 2007 also marks the first petrochemical futures contract in the country.

On August 20, 2007, China officially announced the Northeast Area Revitalization Plan(a national-level development strategy). In this Plan, the Dalian Commodities Exchange was named as a key player in developing the fourth economic region in China. The northeast area is a relatively untapped market space and is traditionally associated with an edge in natural resources such as crude oil, agricultural land, electricity and coal mining. Shipbuilding, port logistics & distribution networks, utilities and agriculture are the most notable sectors in the region.