This week will see a historic event: on March 26, trading will begin in yuan-denominated crude oil futures contracts on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange. The futures launch is historic because it will be the first time that foreign traders will have access to a Chinese commodity market. It is also historic because the yuan oil futures have been in the making for years, but have been delayed time and again. Many investors are eagerly awaiting the chance to tap China’s booming commodity markets, but Beijing is going about the launch with extra caution after in 1993 its first attempt at oil futures flopped within a year because of uncontrollable price volatility. China last year became the world’s top oil importer, and this year it will likely keep the crown. The time is as ripe as it will ever be for the launch of the futures, and China is […]