Commodities play a crucial role in Asian economies — most Asian countries are major commodity importers.
Key Commodity Relationships
| Commodity | Impact on Asia |
| Oil (WTI/Brent) | Japan, India, Korea = major importers. Rising oil = negative |
| Gold | India = world's largest consumer. Safe haven demand |
| Copper | China = 50% of global demand. Economic barometer |
| Iron Ore | China, Japan = biggest buyers for steel production |
| Palm Oil | Indonesia, Malaysia = largest producers |
| Nickel | Indonesia = 50% of global supply (EV batteries) |
| LNG | Japan = world's largest LNG importer |
Commodity Exporters vs Importers
Exporters (benefit from high prices):
- Indonesia (palm oil, nickel, coal)
- Malaysia (palm oil, LNG)
Importers (hurt by high prices):
- Japan (oil, LNG, all raw materials)
- India (oil, gold)
- South Korea (oil, iron ore)
- China (oil, iron ore, copper)