The Shanghai Futures Exchange on Sept 10 launched futures and options for offset printing paper, marking the world's first financial derivatives for cultural-use paper.

On the same day, petroleum asphalt futures, along with fuel oil and pulp options, became available to qualified foreign institutional investors.

Offset paper, made primarily from bleached wood pulp, is widely used in education, publishing, and commerce. China, the world's largest producer and consumer of offset paper, has a market worth nearly 50 billion yuan ($7.03 billion).

According to the exchange, while pulp futures have become an important risk management tool, they cannot fully reflect the supply-demand dynamics of finished paper. The new offset paper futures and options are expected to offer more precise hedging instruments, enhancing risk resilience across the paper industry chain.

Industry experts said the contracts will help build a more transparent and fairer pricing system, provide a benchmark for domestic and international trade, and strengthen China's role in the global paper and publishing sectors.

Sources: Jiefang Daily, CCTV