May 8, 2026
Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Government, said Hong Kong will build a global commodities and gold trading hub, with rising Asian demand, and reshaped global trade and supply chains providing the backdrop.
Speaking at the London Metal Exchange (LME) Asia Metals Seminar 2026, Chan said that Hong Kong has exceptional institutional strengths and deep capabilities in financial and professional services. It maintains full alignment with international standards, the common law system, and independent dispute resolution mechanisms, and offers a full range of services, from trade finance and marine insurance to derivatives and risk management tools.
Chan said that a strategic committee on commodities, chaired by him, is developing a long-term strategy covering physical trade, financial transactions, logistics, and connectivity with the mainland, adopting a whole-of-ecosystem approach.
Chan noted that the HKSAR government and the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) are exploring the feasibility of establishing a special panel of mediators for commodities market disputes under the IOMed.
This will provide a neutral, expert-led mediation mechanism for disputes arising across the commodities value chain, facilitating cross-border transactions, and strengthening market confidence among global market participants, Chan added.
Bonnie Chan, chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, said at the meeting that both Hong Kong’s capital market and the London Metal Exchange’s non-ferrous metals market have performed strongly. One important reason is the prevailing geopolitical uncertainty, which has prompted global investors to seek diversified asset allocation, thereby channeling funds into Asia and the Hong Kong market, a region with vast growth potential.
