china posted robust commodities imports in may defying stutters in the wider economy as buyers took advantage of weaker international prices and energy importers stocked up ahead of peak demand in the summer traders may also be anticipating that beijing will soon ramp up stimulus to revive growth unless demand lifts significantly much of the extra supply especially of industrial materials could end up being stockpiled that would further weigh on prices as the usual lull in factory and construction activity takes hold over the summer coal imports remained elevated and natural gas shipments rose in what’s typically the low season for consumption due to moderate temperatures crude oil was another bright spot as the rebound in chinese consumption and travel outpaces its industrial recovery copper imports are the only major commodity where imports are lagging behind last year’s pace weak exports of chinese products have added more pressure to metals markets that are already contending with fragile domestic demand from the manufacturing and building sectors iron ore imports increased both monthonmonth and yearonyear despite a disappointing secondquarter construction season at the same time exports of steel products rose to their highest since 2016 as material unwanted in the home market flowed overseas copper imports had their best month since january but they still fell yearonyear and over the first five months are 11 lower than the same period in 2022 china’s imports of copper concentrate and ore hit another record as more metal is processed onshore to the detriment of refined purchases china’s oil imports topped 50 million tons for the second time this year as new plants such as petrochina co’s megarefinery in guangdong started commercial operations gas imports rose above 10 million tons for the first time in 2023 after prices sank to near twoyear lows while coal shipments stayed close to the levels of previous months despite a build up in inventory soybean imports hit a record after some cargoes stuck at ports due to tighter inspections finally cleared customs edible oils fell from the previous month but have still more than doubled over the yeartodate as catering and restaurant demand recovers after the pandemic   china’s 1st batch of may trade data including steel aluminum  rare earth exports steel iron ore  copper imports soybean edible oil rubber and meat  offal imports oil gas  coal imports oil products imports  exports 1100   towngas agm and press briefing on business prospects 1200 in hk   china to release may aggregate financing  money supply by june 15 shares of contemporary amperex technology co slumped as morgan stanley slashed its recommendation to underweight expecting geopolitical tensions to hinder the chinese battery giant’s expansion into us markets china’s demand for energy and basic materials could become collateral damage amid curbs on the country’s infrastructure bond sales according to bloomberg intelligence citigroup inc lowered its price forecast for iron ore as china’s stimulus measures will be difficult to translate into robust demand potash prices in china have returned to prewar levels signaling a new floor for global fertilizer prices with assistance by jason rogers sarah chen kathy chen winnie zhu and hallie gu