Business & Markets

China market data, sector analysis, and Canada-China trade updates

China Market Indices

Shanghai Composite
4,049.91
-0.85%
Shenzhen Component
14,039.73
-1.87%
Hang Seng
25,868.54
+0.13%
CSI 300
4,637.44
-0.73%

Currency Rates

USD/CNY
6.8863
-0.1421%
CAD/CNY
5.0278
-0.0309%
USD/CAD
1.3696
-0.1152%

Market Signals

"Freedom Say News" reports that the CPC awkwardly replied to "sanction Rubio." Chinese netizens were acid-tipped! The image of Wolf Warrior being forced into a frenzied dance by foreign media went viral.

Elevated Trade
A brand new perspective! Don’t miss any news headlines, subscribe to YouTube’s “Free Range News,” and don’t forget to turn on the bell notifications!
Source: Liberty Times ·

China’s export controls threaten US interceptors during conflict with Iran

Elevated Economic
China’s export controls on rare-earth elements like neodymium and samarium threaten US missile defense capabilities in conflicts with Iran. These elements are crucial for advanced defense systems including interceptors used against ballistic missiles. China controls 90% of global rare-earth supply chain, complicating efforts to ensure sufficient raw materials. The US struggles to diversify its supply and scale production quickly to meet rising demand from increased interceptor use, especially in the recent conflict with Iran.
Source: ASPI Strategist ·

Washington's unilateral trade probes opposed

Moderate Economic
Washington’s unilateral trade probes are opposed by China during recent Paris talks. Both sides agreed on extending existing bilateral tariffs and non-tariff measures but disagreed on establishing a working mechanism for promoting bilateral trade and investment cooperation. They also acknowledged the need to maintain stable tariff levels, though tensions remain over U.S. restrictions targeting Chinese trade and investment.
Source: ECNS · March 17, 2026

JPMorgan Chase appoints Liu Bowei as Vice President of Investment Banking for Asia-Pacific and Zhang Yi as Co-Head of Investment Banking in China.

Moderate Economic
36Kr has learned that IMA has launched ima skills, supporting the operation of IMA notes and knowledge base functions. It is now fully compatible with multiple products under the OpenClaw, WorkBuddy, QClaw product lines. To access "Claw configuration" within IMA for simple setup to invoke these features, the first skill to launch will be for note skills, which supports querying, reading, and writing content in the notes module on the "crab." The knowledge base skill is also expected to be launched soon.
Source: 36Kr · March 17, 2026

Silicon New Energy secures a critical customer order in the semiconductor sector for powder materials and has completed aA financing. by 36Kr.

Low Technology
Article Abstract: Beijing Si Jun New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. recently completed a several hundred million RMB A-round financing, with the funds used for capacity expansion and production line construction to accelerate domestication of critical semiconductor core materials. In 2025, the company passed key customer certification and signed long-term supply agreements, with this client's overall order size reaching into the hundreds of millions. The main products of Si Jun New Energy are synthetic quartz sand and carbonized silicon powder, both focusing on core processes and applications in the semiconductor industry. Currently, its 300-ton synthetic quartz sand production line is nearing full capacity operation, and a plan for 1,000-ton production capacity expansion is expected to begin in mid-2026, alongside construction of a 3C-grade silicon carbide production line capable of producing up to 300 tons annually.
Source: 36Kr · March 17, 2026

Sector Breakdown

Hang Seng TECH ETF

Hang Seng TECH ETF
10.73
+0.19%

ChiNext Composite

ChiNext Composite
3,280.06
+0.00%

SSE 50

SSE 50
2,963.58
+0.00%

Shenzhen 100

Shenzhen 100
5,881.05
+0.00%

SPDR Gold Trust

SPDR Gold Trust
3,614.00
+0.67%

CSI 500

CSI 500
8,016.03
+0.00%

Top Movers

Gainers

Name Price (CNY) Change
Meituan HK$80.00 +2.17%
ANTA Sports HK$79.65 +1.59%
Bank of China HK$4.65 +1.53%
Ping An Insurance HK$63.10 +1.37%
ICBC HK$6.54 +0.93%

Losers

Name Price (CNY) Change
PetroChina HK$10.58 -0.38%
SMIC HK$61.85 -1.04%
Tencent Holdings HK$550.00 -1.52%
CNOOC HK$28.80 -2.17%
Baidu HK$119.20 -3.01%

Regulatory Actions

Washington's unilateral trade probes opposed

Moderate Economic
Washington’s unilateral trade probes are opposed by China during recent Paris talks. Both sides agreed on extending existing bilateral tariffs and non-tariff measures but disagreed on establishing a working mechanism for promoting bilateral trade and investment cooperation. They also acknowledged the need to maintain stable tariff levels, though tensions remain over U.S. restrictions targeting Chinese trade and investment.
Source: ECNS · March 17, 2026

An aging society raises warnings; higher life expectancy pushes up the cost-effectiveness of long-term care insurance

Low Political
AIF Life will launch the "Stable Fortune No. 3" foreign currency investment-linked annuity insurance on March 18th. (Provided by AIF Life) [News reporter Wu Hsien-tian/Nantou, Taipei] The population structure in Taiwan is under immense pressure and imminent transition to an elderly society by 2025, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Interior. Recognizing the financial anxiety among young generations, AIF Life recently introduced a low-fee long-term care insurance that targets this demographic, aiming to fill the gap left by Long-Term Care Insurance 2.0 through high-value propositions in the market. Despite government initiatives for Long-Term Care Insurance policies 2.0 and 3.0 providing respite services and partial subsidies, significant gaps persist in costs such as accommodation fees for care institutions, salaries for professional caregivers, and monthly expenses on consumables. Moreover, disability risks are not confined to the elderly; young adults or middle-aged individuals experiencing accidents or strokes can also have severe economic impacts on their families. AIF Life emphasized that long-term care is an endless marathon in society, characterized by tragic scenarios such as "grandparents caring for grand-grandchildren" due to financial collapse. To address this issue, AIF Life has launched the "Go Dependable Long-Term Care Periodic Health Insurance," which targets individuals aged 15-70 and offers flexible payment terms of up to 30 years, appealing to budget-conscious young professionals. Taking a 20-year term for a male policyholder aged 30 with a coverage amount of NT$100,000 as an example, the annual premium is only several thousand New Taiwan Dollars. This insurance can provide a million-level long-term care protection, and within its first week of sales, over a thousand applications were received, indicating that risk prevention awareness among consumers has been awakened.
Source: Liberty Times ·

Canada-China Trade

Total Imports from China
$6.9B CAD
Total Exports to China
$2.8B CAD
Trade Balance
$-4.1B CAD
Commodity Export Value (CAD) Import Value (CAD) Balance Trend
Electronic & Electrical Equipment $71M CAD $1.3B CAD $-1.2B CAD Decreasing
Consumer Goods $112M CAD $2.1B CAD $-2.0B CAD Decreasing
Industrial Machinery & Equipment $54M CAD $1.0B CAD $-962M CAD Increasing
Metal & Mineral Products $118M CAD $541M CAD $-424M CAD Decreasing
Forestry & Building Materials $287M CAD $821M CAD $-534M CAD Increasing
Energy Products $921M CAD $0M CAD $921M CAD Increasing
Farm, Fishing & Food Products $197M CAD $142M CAD $54M CAD Decreasing
Chemicals, Plastics & Rubber $176M CAD $424M CAD $-248M CAD Increasing
Motor Vehicles & Parts $9M CAD $417M CAD $-408M CAD Stable