The order in which China opened its futures market

Version changes

1.4.0 → 1.9.13: no product or access record changes.

23 openings across 22 dates, newest first

1. 2026-09-28QFI list12

   2026-09-28 — 12 futures contracts entered the qualified foreign investor commodity list. Cotton (CF) is covered here; the other 11 (Alumina, Cast aluminium alloy, Butadiene rubber, Offset printing paper, Cotton yarn, Apple, Dried jujube, Caustic soda, Propylene, Platinum, Palladium) are outside this site's contract range.

   CFCottonSHFEAluminaSHFECast aluminium alloySHFEButadiene rubberSHFEOffset printing paperCZCECotton yarnCZCEAppleCZCEDried jujubeCZCECaustic sodaCZCEPropyleneGFEXPlatinumGFEXPalladium

   CZCE Announcement [2026] No.148 (24 Sep 2026, full text via Sina Finance)GFEX Announcement [2026] No.56 (full text via CITIC Futures)SHFE Announcement [2026] No.214 (24 Sep 2026)

2. 2026-07-03Specified domestic product

   2026-07-03 — Lithium Carbonate (LC) became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence.

   LCLithium Carbonate

   CSRC approval of 14 new specified domestic products (23 Jan 2026)GFEX Announcement [2026] No.36: lithium carbonate opened 3 Jul (report via Chinese Society for Metals)

3. 2026-05-22Specified domestic product3

   2026-05-22 — Polyester staple fiber, Paraxylene, Bottle-grade PET resin became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence.

   CZCEPolyester staple fiberCZCEParaxyleneCZCEBottle-grade PET resin

   CZCE: polyester products opened to overseas traders on 22 May 2026 (via investor.org.cn)

4. 2026-04-24QFI list4

   2026-04-24 — 4 futures contracts entered what a qualified foreign investor may trade, for hedging purposes only.

   T10Y T-BondTF5Y T-BondTL30Y T-BondTS2Y T-Bond

   CFFEX [2026] No.18 (24 Apr 2026)

5. 2026-04-22Specified domestic product

   2026-04-22 — Nickel (NI) became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence.

   NINickel

   CSRC approval of 14 new specified domestic products (23 Jan 2026)SHFE Announcement [2026] No.66 (20 Mar 2026)

6. 2026-04-22QFI list

   2026-04-22 — Nickel (NI) entered the qualified foreign investor commodity list.

   NINickel

   SHFE Announcement [2026] No.70 (20 Mar 2026)

7. 2025-10-29QFI list3

   2025-10-29 — LLDPE monthly average, PVC monthly average, Polypropylene monthly average entered the qualified foreign investor commodity list.

   DCELLDPE monthly averageDCEPVC monthly averageDCEPolypropylene monthly average

   DCE monthly-average listing and QFI notice (reproduced by Bohai Futures)

8. 2025-09-10QFI list

   2025-09-10 — Bitumen entered the qualified foreign investor commodity list.

   SHFEBitumen

   SHFE Announcement [2025] No.105 (bitumen QFI from 10 Sep 2025)

9. 2025-06-20QFI list8

   2025-06-20 — 8 futures contracts entered the qualified foreign investor commodity list. Flat Glass (FG), Soda Ash (SA), Lead (PB), Rubber (RU), Tin (SN) are covered here; the other 3 (Ethylene glycol, LPG, Ferrosilicon) are outside this site's contract range.

   FGFlat GlassSASoda AshPBLeadRURubberSNTinDCEEthylene glycolDCELPGCZCEFerrosilicon

   CZCE QFI expansion announcement, 18 Jun 2025 (full text via Yicai)CZCE white paper: Table 1 product catalogue, Table 3 QFI list (Apr 2026)DCE Announcement [2025] No.54 (full text via CCB Futures)SHFE Announcement [2025] No.76 (18 Jun 2025)

10. 2025-03-04QFI list15

    2025-03-04 — 15 futures contracts entered the qualified foreign investor commodity list. Rapeseed Meal (RM), Polypropylene (PP), Lithium Carbonate (LC), Polysilicon (PS), Industrial Silicon (SI) are covered here; the other 10 (Stainless steel, Fuel oil, Pulp, Containerized freight index (Europe), PVC, Styrene, Silicomanganese, Peanut kernel, Paraxylene, Bottle-grade PET resin) are outside this site's contract range.

    RMRapeseed MealPPPolypropyleneLCLithium CarbonatePSPolysiliconSIIndustrial SiliconSHFEStainless steelSHFEFuel oilSHFEPulpINEContainerized freight index (Europe)DCEPVCDCEStyreneCZCESilicomanganeseCZCEPeanut kernelCZCEParaxyleneCZCEBottle-grade PET resin

    CZCE Announcement [2025] No.19 (28 Feb 2025)CZCE white paper: Table 1 product catalogue, Table 3 QFI list (Apr 2026)DCE Announcement [2025] No.22 (28 Feb 2025)GFEX [2025] No.70 (28 Feb 2025)INE containerized freight index (Europe) contract and access flagsSHFE market research: EC introduced QFI in March 2025SHFE access table: stainless steel, fuel oil and pulp QFI from 4 Mar 2025

11. 2023-08-18Specified domestic product

    2023-08-18 — Containerized freight index (Europe) became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence.

    INEContainerized freight index (Europe)

    INE containerized freight index (Europe) contract and access flags

12. 2023-01-12Specified domestic product3

    2023-01-12 — Rapeseed Oil (OI), Rapeseed Meal (RM), Peanut kernel became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence.

    OIRapeseed OilRMRapeseed MealCZCEPeanut kernel

    CZCE announcement on introducing overseas traders to rapeseed oil, rapeseed meal and peanut kernel (9 Jan 2023)

13. 2022-12-26Specified domestic product4

    2022-12-26 — 4 futures contracts became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence. Soybean No.1 (A), Soybean Meal (M), Soybean Oil (Y) are covered here; the other 1 (Soybean No.2) are outside this site's contract range.

    ASoybean No.1MSoybean MealYSoybean OilDCESoybean No.2

    DCE Announcement [2022] No.100 (16 Dec 2022)

14. 2022-09-02QFI list23

    2022-09-02 — 23 futures contracts entered the qualified foreign investor commodity list. Methanol (MA), Rapeseed Oil (OI), White Sugar (SR), PTA (TA), Soybean No.1 (A), Iron Ore (I), Soybean Meal (M), Palm Oil (P), Soybean Oil (Y), Int'l Copper (BC), Low-S Fuel Oil (LU), No.20 Rubber (NR), Crude Oil (SC), Silver (AG), Aluminium (AL), Gold (AU), Copper (CU), Rebar (RB), Zinc (ZN) are covered here; the other 4 (Hot-rolled coil, Soybean No.2, LLDPE, Polyester staple fiber) are outside this site's contract range.

    MAMethanolOIRapeseed OilSRWhite SugarTAPTAASoybean No.1IIron OreMSoybean MealPPalm OilYSoybean OilBCInt'l CopperLULow-S Fuel OilNRNo.20 RubberSCCrude OilAGSilverALAluminiumAUGoldCUCopperRBRebarZNZincSHFEHot-rolled coilDCESoybean No.2DCELLDPECZCEPolyester staple fiber

    CZCE QFI product announcement, 2 Sep 2022 (full text via China Securities Journal)CZCE white paper: Table 1 product catalogue, Table 3 QFI list (Apr 2026)DCE Announcement [2022] No.68 (2 Sep 2022)INE Announcement [2022] No.30 (2 Sep 2022)SHFE Announcement [2022] No.94 (2 Sep 2022)

15. 2022-07-22QFI list

    2022-07-22 — CSI 1000 (IM) entered what a qualified foreign investor may trade, for hedging purposes only. The date is inferred: the authorisation names the category rather than the contract, and no product-specific approval was found.

    IMCSI 1000

    CFFEX [2020] No.20 (30 Oct 2020)

16. 2020-12-22Specified domestic product

    2020-12-22 — Palm Oil (P) became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence.

    PPalm Oil

    DCE palm-oil internationalisation topic page (effective 22 Dec 2020)

17. 2020-11-19Specified domestic product

    2020-11-19 — Int'l Copper (BC) became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence. Specified from their listing day.

    BCInt'l Copper

18. 2020-11-01QFI list3

    2020-11-01 — CSI 500 (IC), CSI 300 (IF), SSE 50 (IH) entered what a qualified foreign investor may trade, for hedging purposes only.

    ICCSI 500IFCSI 300IHSSE 50

    CFFEX [2020] No.20 (30 Oct 2020)

19. 2020-06-22Specified domestic product

    2020-06-22 — Low-S Fuel Oil (LU) became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence. Specified from their listing day.

    LULow-S Fuel Oil

20. 2019-08-12Specified domestic product

    2019-08-12 — No.20 Rubber (NR) became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence. Specified from their listing day.

    NRNo.20 Rubber

21. 2018-11-30Specified domestic product

    2018-11-30 — PTA (TA) became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence.

    TAPTA

    CZCE PTA rules for overseas traders (bonded delivery and auction of tax-paid warrants)

22. 2018-05-04Specified domestic product

    2018-05-04 — Iron Ore (I) became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence.

    IIron Ore

    DCE iron-ore internationalisation topic page (effective 4 May 2018)

23. 2018-03-26Specified domestic product

    2018-03-26 — Crude Oil (SC) became specified domestic products, which an overseas trader reaches without a QFI licence. Specified from their listing day.

    SCCrude Oil

Still on neither route · 20

As of 2026-09-30, of all 91 listed futures products, these 20 are absent from the two reviewed route lists. This is not a conclusion about every foreign-investor category. The matrix provides the sources and review scope.

FAQ

When did China first open a futures contract to overseas traders?

2018-03-26, when Crude Oil (SC) opened to overseas traders as a specified domestic product — the earliest date this page covers. Iron Ore (I), PTA (TA), No.20 Rubber (NR), Low-S Fuel Oil (LU), Int'l Copper (BC) followed.

What opened most recently?

2026-09-28 — 12 futures contracts entered the qualified foreign investor commodity list. Cotton (CF) is covered here; the other 11 (Alumina, Cast aluminium alloy, Butadiene rubber, Offset printing paper, Cotton yarn, Apple, Dried jujube, Caustic soda, Propylene, Platinum, Palladium) are outside this site's contract range.

Why do the two routes have different dates for the same product?

Because they are two different things. A specified domestic product is designated by the CSRC under Order 116 and is reachable without a QFI licence; the QFI list is published separately by each exchange for licensed qualified foreign investors. A product can join one route years before the other, or stay on one of them for good.

Which products are still on neither route?

As of 2026-09-30, 20 products in the whole-market registry are absent from both reviewed lists: Wire rod (WR), Corn (C), Corn starch (CS), Fiberboard (FB), Blockboard (BB), Egg (JD), Japonica rice (RR), Live hog (LH), Coke (J), Coking coal (JM), Log (LG), Benzene (BZ), Strong gluten wheat (WH), Common wheat (PM), Early indica rice (RI), Rapeseed (RS), Japonica rice (JR), Late indica rice (LR), Thermal coal (ZC), Urea (UR). Options excluded; this does not cover every foreign-investor category.