Shanghai Futures Exchange Nickel Futures Now Open to Overseas Traders

The Shanghai Futures Exchange has opened its nickel futures and options to overseas traders and qualified foreign investors, marking the first time products on the exchange are directly accessible to global participants.

The move follows China's broader effort to internationalize its commodities pricing system, particularly in metals where domestic consumption is dominant.

JPMorgan Chase Futures was among the first foreign institutions to take part, according to financial news media Yicai.

Nickel is a key industrial metal used in stainless steel and electric vehicle batteries, and opening the contract is expected to improve price discovery, increase liquidity and strengthen Shanghai's role as a regional pricing hub competing with exchanges such as the London Metal Exchange.