China Market Access:
Trade China Futures & Options
Access to SHFE, INE, DCE, ZCE, GFEX and CFFEX via internationalised contracts and the QFI scheme.
Why Access China's Markets?
Key Advantages for Institutional Investors
For overseas market participants, access to China’s markets offer:
Local Market Access
Exposure to China’s onshore price discovery
Hedging
Hedge against real-world supply exposures
Liquidity
Access to diverse liquidity pools across major commodity contracts
Diversify
Diversification across energy, metals, agricultural, financial derivatives and more
As an MAS-licensed brokerage and Overseas Intermediary for INE, DCE and ZCE, Orient Futures Singapore provides unmatched market access to China.
Channels for China Market Access
Internationalised Contracts
China’s internationalised products are specific futures and/or options contracts that China’s exchanges have opened to global investors. These contracts can be traded directly by overseas market participants without needing a QFI licence.
INE's crude oil contract is the primary RMB-denominated benchmark for Asian price discovery, offering institutions direct exposure to China's import-driven energy pricing, distinct from Brent or WTI dynamics.
China's metals complex spans iron ore on DCE and base metals including copper and aluminum on SHFE, together covering the core industrial metals value chain. For institutions, these contracts provide onshore Chinese price discovery that diverges meaningfully from LME benchmarks, particularly during periods of domestic policy-driven demand shifts.
China's agricultural futures reflect domestic consumption and import policy dynamics. Institutions managing commodity exposure in edible oils and oilseeds can use these contracts to hedge against Chinese demand-side price movements.
Petrochemical contracts on DCE and ZCE provide hedging instruments for institutions with exposure to polyester supply chains, plastics manufacturing, and energy-linked chemical feedstocks priced in RMB.
The Containerized Freight Index (Europe Service) futures on INE allow institutions to hedge ocean freight rate risk on key China-Europe trade lanes, one of the few exchange-traded freight derivatives globally.
Note: Product availability is subject to the permitted list under the respective access requirements and may be amended from time to time.
Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI)
The QFI scheme enables eligible overseas institutions to access China’s onshore derivatives markets through a regulated framework, providing expanded contract access for institutional participation.
QFI expands energy access beyond INE's internationalised contracts, enabling eligible institutions to trade the full suite of onshore energy derivatives including LPG, useful for portfolios with broader Asia energy exposure.
QFI unlocks access to SHFE's full metals complex including gold, silver along with DCE’s Iron Ore. For institutions running multi-asset commodity books, this provides RMB-denominated hedging across the entire metals spectrum.
This category is exclusive to QFI and has no internationalised contract equivalent. It gives institutions direct hedging access to China's construction and industrial materials markets, particularly relevant for funds with real assets or infrastructure exposure.
QFI's agricultural scope is significantly broader than internationalised contracts, covering China's soybean complex in full, the world's largest soybean import market. Institutions can hedge basis risk between CBOT and Chinese domestic prices within a single regulated framework.
The expanded chemicals suite under QFI covers the full polyester and methanol value chain. Institutions with exposure to Asian petrochemical equities or physical commodity positions can use these contracts for precise segment-level hedging.
Access to CFFEX's equity index and interest rate futures under QFI enables institutional participants to manage beta exposure to Chinese onshore equities and duration risk in RMB-denominated fixed income portfolios.
Note: Product availability is subject to the permitted list under the respective access requirements and may be amended from time to time.
A Bridge to China Markets
Orient Futures Singapore serves as a trusted gateway to China’s markets, providing institutional participants with structured access to onshore price discovery across energy, metals, agricultural, chemical, and financial derivatives.
Through established connectivity and regulatory frameworks, we facilitate access to China’s leading exchanges, spanning RMB-denominated commodity benchmarks, the world’s most liquid iron ore and soybean complex markets, industrial transition commodities, and onshore equity index and interest rate derivatives:
Industrial metals and energy: Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) and Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE)
Agricultural and industrial commodities: Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE)
Agricultural and soft commodities: Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE)
Emerging industrial commodities: Guangzhou Futures Exchange (GFEX)
Financial and equity index: China Financial Futures Exchange (CFFEX)
Explore the above exchange to view detailed product coverage, and access channels.
MAS Regulated
MAS-licenced brokerage with full compliance framework
Overseas Intermediary
Official Overseas Intermediary for INE, DCE, ZCE
Market Access
Access to internationalised products and QFI scheme
Institutional Support
Institutional onboarding, trading advisory and operational support
Low-Latency Infrastructure
Co-location services and low-latency infrastructure
Multi-Asset Access
Access across multiple asset classes
Our team can help you navigate the right channels, product, and operational workflows.
