The London Metal Exchange (LME) on Monday added Hong Kong as one of its global warehouse locations to meet growing demand for the physical exchange of metals between mainland China and the rest of the world, while enhancing Hong Kong's role as a conduit.

"The addition of Hong Kong to our global warehousing network is an exciting development, providing warehousing facilities closer to the metals hubs of mainland China than ever before," said Matthew Chamberlain, CEO of LME.

Hong Kong will store LME-registered aluminium alloy, primary aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, tin and zinc, according to an official statement. The city will become an active location three months after the approval of the first warehouse company.

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The move "represents a major milestone that brings China - the world's biggest metals consumer - much closer to the most active global metals trading community, strengthening the links between the country's physical metals markets and international pricing on LME", said Bonnie Chan Yiting, CEO of bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX).

LME has more than 465 warehouses in 32 locations worldwide, but it does not own or operate the facilities. Rather, it authorises warehouse companies and the warehouses they operate to store LME-registered brands of metal on behalf of warrant holders. LME has been eyeing China as a warehouse location since as early as 2012, when HKEX bought the LME for US$2.2 billion.

"Mainland China is the world's largest consumer of metals, and with its outstanding commercial infrastructure, Hong Kong provides the natural hub for connectivity to the Chinese market that is so important to market participants and the wider metals industry," Chamberlain said.

The recognition will support Hong Kong's development as a regional commodities trading hub, Chan said.

Bonnie Chan Yiting, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), speaks at LME Asia Week at HKEX in Central on June 27, 2024. Photo: Xiaomei Chen alt=Bonnie Chan Yiting, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX), speaks at LME Asia Week at HKEX in Central on June 27, 2024. Photo: Xiaomei Chen>

"China's sustainability commitments and ongoing economic progress will drive continued growth in its demand for metals," she said. "Having new LME warehouses strategically located in Hong Kong, with its robust transportation infrastructure and trusted international frameworks, will help lower logistics costs and enhance efficiencies for delivery networks, benefiting metals consumers and producers alike."

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The approval of Hong Kong as a warehouse location aligns with efforts to bolster its role in commodities trading, after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in October that the city would develop an international gold trading market.

LME, founded in 1877, traded 178 million lots of metals last year, equating to US$18 trillion and 4 billion tonnes, according to its website.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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