Across the world commodity trading activity takes place on a range of modern, regulated commodity exchanges. A wide range of commodities will be traded between end user buyers and producer sellers under the umbrella of standard contract rules and commodity trading regulations.
In effect world commodity exchanges facilitate the buying and selling of raw commodities ranging from crude oil, copper and wheat to platinum and orange juice.
Some commodities such as crude oil and coffee futures have been traded for a considerable long time in mature markets, swiss corporates but now in the early years of the 21st century we are seeing new markets and futures contracts being introduced.
These more exotic commodity classes include carbon in the form of emission permits. With the growing concern about the serious environmental threats from climate change caused by greenhouse gases, a rapidly growing market has developed in emissions permits, a form of activity known as carbon trading.
For the foreseeable future it is likely we will see continual growth of markets which place a price on the environment, with further development in emissions, plastics and perhaps even water.
The basis of commodity trading activity is the buying and selling of futures contracts for a whole range of commodities. Commercial end users will also use these contracts for hedging against sudden spikes in prices.
Yet these two actors in the commodity markets are dwarfed by the high activity levels of speculators or traders who move in and out of the markets trying to make profits.
A futures contract represents a specific type of contract either to buy or sell a specified quantity of a commodity at a price determined by supply and demand at time of contract, Structured Commodity Finance at an agreed date in the future.
Across the time zones of the world there are commodity traders active in the markets either using an electronic trading platform or on the floor of an exchange, called open outcry. Over recent years the volume of electronically traded futures contracts has increased significantly, as a number of exchanges have combined to form a super commodity exchange.
In effect world commodity exchanges facilitate the buying and selling of raw commodities ranging from crude oil, copper and wheat to platinum and orange juice.
Some commodities such as crude oil and coffee futures have been traded for a considerable long time in mature markets, swiss corporates but now in the early years of the 21st century we are seeing new markets and futures contracts being introduced.
These more exotic commodity classes include carbon in the form of emission permits. With the growing concern about the serious environmental threats from climate change caused by greenhouse gases, a rapidly growing market has developed in emissions permits, a form of activity known as carbon trading.
For the foreseeable future it is likely we will see continual growth of markets which place a price on the environment, with further development in emissions, plastics and perhaps even water.
The basis of commodity trading activity is the buying and selling of futures contracts for a whole range of commodities. Commercial end users will also use these contracts for hedging against sudden spikes in prices.
Yet these two actors in the commodity markets are dwarfed by the high activity levels of speculators or traders who move in and out of the markets trying to make profits.
A futures contract represents a specific type of contract either to buy or sell a specified quantity of a commodity at a price determined by supply and demand at time of contract, Structured Commodity Finance at an agreed date in the future.
Across the time zones of the world there are commodity traders active in the markets either using an electronic trading platform or on the floor of an exchange, called open outcry. Over recent years the volume of electronically traded futures contracts has increased significantly, as a number of exchanges have combined to form a super commodity exchange.
