The global economic and trade pattern is accelerating its restructuring, and China's commodity concentration is shifting from being "large" to "strong"
On June 16th, the 2026 Bulk Commodity Innovation and Development Conference was held in Beijing. At the meeting, the Bulk Commodity Circulation Branch of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing released the "China Bulk Commodity Development Report (2026)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"). The report points out that China needs to achieve six key transformations to move from a major commodity trading country to a strong country: from a large-scale country to a strong configuration country, from short-term supply guarantee to system security, from low-priced procurement to resilient procurement, from traditional circulation to trustworthy digital trade, from buying and selling relationships to partnership relationships, and from rule adaptation to rule co construction.
He Hui, Vice President of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, said, "Currently, the global economic landscape is accelerating its restructuring, and multiple factors such as geopolitics and market fluctuations are intertwined and overlapping. The commodity market is facing unprecedented uncertainty. Looking at the domestic market, China's economy has withstood external pressure and continued to rebound and improve, with industrial resilience and development vitality continuously highlighted
On the data level, from January to April this year, the total amount of social logistics in China reached 121.7 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.5%; The total revenue of the logistics industry was 4.6 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.1%. The overall operation of the industry is stable and steady with progress. On the price side, the China Commodity Price Index (CBPI) for May 2026 reported 132.5 points, an increase of 0.3% month on month, and has rebounded for three consecutive months.
He Hui emphasized that as we enter the second half of 2026, the global commodity industry will face external challenges such as geopolitical conflicts and market differentiation, while also embracing new development opportunities such as digital technology iteration, green and low-carbon transformation, and deepening global economic and trade cooperation.
The report shows that in the future, the development of bulk commodities in China will mainly present three major trends: digitalization, greenization, and globalization. In terms of digitalization, the digital trade of bulk commodities is moving from traditional online transaction matching to deeper resource allocation, injecting new trust foundations and technological momentum into traditional trade; In terms of greening, green is no longer simply a compliance cost, but a core competitiveness that determines future market position. The anchor point of trade value for bulk commodities is shifting from traditional quality and price to the scarcity and certified value of "green attributes"; In terms of globalization, it has entered a new stage of regionalization, stratification, and security. The traditional global value chain layout logic has undergone a fundamental transformation, with national strategies and economic interests deeply intertwined. China's strategic response should abandon the single "buying resources" model and shift towards building a diverse, stable, credible, and sustainable global resource cooperation network, actively participating in international rule making, and completing the identity transition from passive market participants to active rule participants.
He Hui further pointed out that "digital technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and blockchain are becoming the core forces reshaping the form of the commodity industry. At the same time, we should continue to strengthen local leading enterprises in commodity circulation, guide them to improve their global network layout, deeply cultivate the international market, extend the industrial chain, continuously enhance their core competitiveness, and make every effort to consolidate and enhance the international influence of the 'Chinese price' of commodities, so that Chinese industries have stronger voice and initiative in the global market. In addition, we should innovate supporting services such as green finance and green trade, safeguard industrial security and drive industrial upgrading through green transformation, and make green a distinctive background for the high-quality development of the commodity industry
It is worth noting that Chaoyang District in Beijing, as the core window of the capital's opening-up to the outside world, has a high degree of openness in the service industry, concentrated headquarters economy, and complete business supporting facilities. It is an important carrier for promoting the facilitation and internationalization of commodity trade.
Looking ahead to the second half of the year, Zhou Xu, Vice President of the Bulk Commodity Circulation Branch of China IoT, emphasized the need to focus on six major risk factors: geopolitical conflicts, slowing demand, amplified price fluctuations in financial and capital markets, high dependence on imported key resources, rising costs due to new regulations such as carbon accounting and supply chain reviews, and extreme weather.
In the future, China will move from a major commodity trading country to a strong nation, not by continuing to be 'big', but by organizing 'big' into 'strong', "said Zhou Xu.