China’s commodities imports fell significantly in June from the pace of previous months, prompting renewed worries about the impact of the economic slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy on the natural resources sector.
The country is the world’s biggest buyer of many raw materials, including iron ore, copper and coal, and its monthly trade data – released yesterday by the Customs Bureau – are closely watched as an indicator of global demand.
The drop in Chinese imports weighed on commodities markets. Oil prices fell below the key $100 a barrel, in part due to the end of a strike in Norway. Base metals were down across the board, and iron ore prices also fell.