Trading volume on China's futures market exceeds $71.2 trillion in first half of 2026
The derivatives market is not merely a venue for speculation but a mirror of economic expectations. When trading volume and turnover grow at double‑digit rates, it signals not only rising liquidity but also that participants are seeking tools to manage risks amid volatility. The rotation of leading sectors — from precious metals to agricultural products — shows that China's economy remains a living organism, where each sector finds its moment to move higher.
Data from the China Futures Association, released on Saturday, show that market trading volume from January to June exceeded 5.105 billion lots, up 25.23% year‑on‑year. Total turnover for the first six months reached 482.70 trillion yuan (about 71.2 trillion US dollars), up 42.08% from a year earlier. "Overall, the futures market saw growth in both trading volume and open interest. Market volatility increased, attracting more industrial clients and institutional funds, which led to higher overall market activity and liquidity," said Li Yansen, chief macroeconomist at Founder CIFCO Futures.
"In the first half of this year, China's futures market saw a very clear sector rotation. Precious metals led at the beginning of the year, followed by base metals around the Chinese New Year. Then, from March onwards, there was a strong surge in the energy and chemical sectors, and more recently, growth in agricultural products," said Wang Jun, chief expert at Green Dahua Futures. Notably, trading volumes in financial futures and options markets have been rising steadily since the start of the year. CSI 500 stock index futures performed well, with total trading volume in the first half up 68.12% year‑on‑year. At the same time, total trading volume in 10‑year government bond futures rose 23.05% year‑on‑year, reflecting hedging demand from financial institutions. "In the financial futures segment, trading volume, turnover and open interest in both stock index and government bond futures all increased. Both stock index and government bond futures have offered significant investment opportunities this year," said Wang.
By the end of June, China had a total of 167 commodity futures and options products, covering key areas of the national economy, including metals, energy and chemicals, agricultural products and finance. The market's growth reflects not only an influx of capital but also the deepening of China's financial system, which offers increasingly diverse hedging and investment tools. As CCTV+ reports. The trend is expected to continue in the second half of the year, particularly amid global uncertainty and continued interest in Chinese commodity and financial derivatives.
