China launched the trade of propylene futures and options Tuesday on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange in the central province of Henan.
The trading of propylene futures and options were scheduled to start from 09:00 and 21:00 on Tuesday respectively.
Seven propylene futures contracts were made in the first batch of trading on Tuesday, with a trading unit of 20 tons per lot and a delivery unit of 20 tons per lot.
"The launch of propylene futures and options has added a key link in the risk management of the C3 industry chain to make it complete. It will form a synergistic effect together with the listed crude oil, methanol and other products to promote high-quality development of the chemical industry," said Wang Nianhan, propylene product manager at the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange.
China is the world's largest producer and consumer of propylene. It's apparent consumption of propylene reached 55.36 million tons in 2024, with a market size of about 384.5 billion yuan (about 53.6 billion U.S. dollars).
China launches trade of propylene futures, options
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
