China’s agricultural and soft commodity markets play a critical role in global food supply chains and industrial raw materials. The Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE) is one of China’s major commodity exchanges, specialising in agricultural, soft, and selected industrial futures and options contracts.
Through Orient Futures Singapore, global investors can access ZCE products efficiently and compliantly as part of a broader China market strategy.
What Is ZCE?
Established in 1990, the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange (ZCE) is one of China’s earliest futures exchanges and plays a key role in domestic agricultural price discovery.
ZCE contracts are closely linked to China’s food security, textile, and petrochemical supply chains, making them structurally important within the domestic economy.
Key characteristics of ZCE include:
- RMB-denominated futures and options contracts
- Strong focus on agricultural and soft commodities
- Physically delivered benchmark contracts
- Regulated participation framework for domestic and qualified foreign investors
- Integration with China’s food and industrial raw material markets
As China remains a major global importer and consumer of agricultural commodities, ZCE benchmarks increasingly influence regional pricing dynamics.
ZCE Products You Can Trade
ZCE focuses on agricultural, soft, and selected industrial commodities relevant to China’s domestic consumption and manufacturing ecosystem.
| Access Types | Futures | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) | Rapeseed Oil | Rapeseed Oil Option |
| PTA | PTA Option | |
| Rapeseed Meal | Rapeseed Meal Option | |
| Peanut Kernels | Peanut Kernels Option | |
| Methanol | Methanol Option | |
| White Sugar | White Sugar Option | |
| Polyester Staple Fiber | Polyester Staple Fiber Option | |
| Manganese Silicon | Manganese Silicon Option | |
| Para-Xylene | Para-Xylene Option | |
| Bottle-grade PET Resin | Bottle-grade PET Resin Option | |
| Flat Glass | Flat Glass Option | |
| Soda Ash | Soda Ash Option | |
| Ferrosilicon | Ferrosilicon Option | |
| Internationalised | Rapeseed Oil | Rapeseed Oil Option |
| PTA | - | |
| Rapeseed Meal | Rapeseed Meal Option | |
| Peanut Kernels | Peanut Kernels Option |
These contracts are widely used for hedging physical exposure, managing import margins, price discovery, and relative value strategies.
Explore our full China Market Access overview to understand the regulatory structures, participation routes, and market connectivity available to global investors.
Who Trades ZCE?
ZCE participants include:
- Agricultural producers and processors
- Food manufacturers
- Textile mills and cotton traders
- Petrochemical producers
- Commodity trading houses
- Hedge funds and proprietary trading desks
- Institutional investors seeking China-linked agricultural exposure
For global participants, ZCE provides insight into China’s domestic food demand and soft commodity pricing, often reflecting regional consumption trends.
How Foreign Investors Access ZCE
Foreign participation in ZCE is enabled through regulated access structures, including approved futures brokers and recognised international participation frameworks.
With Orient Futures Singapore, global investors benefit from:
- Licensed and regulated access pathway
- Professional onboarding and compliance support
- Institutional-grade trading connectivity
- Clearing access via approved frameworks
- Integration within a broader China and global markets strategy
This structure allows foreign institutions to access China’s onshore agricultural and soft commodity markets without establishing a mainland entity.
Why ZCE Matters in a Global Trading Strategy
ZCE contracts complement global agricultural benchmarks by:
- Reflecting China-specific food and textile demand
- Providing regional pricing signals within Asia
- Supporting cross-market arbitrage opportunities
- Enhancing hedging precision for Asia-centric supply chains
Given China’s scale in agricultural consumption and textile production, ZCE pricing carries increasing strategic relevance.
Access ZCE with Orient Futures Singapore
Orient Futures Singapore provides institutional-grade access to ZCE as part of a comprehensive China market offering, supporting clients from onboarding through execution and beyond.
Contact us to explore how ZCE fits into your China market strategy.
