Markets · reference

Commodities, A to Z

74 raw materials that the world buys and sells, from aluminium to zinc. Each page says what the commodity is, how it is quoted, where its reference contract is listed and what commonly moves it. 7 of them are GIO4X instruments and are marked; the others are here to be understood, not traded here.

Browse the list Traded at GIO4X

Traded at GIO4X

The commodities you can trade here.

GIO4X lists 7 commodities as instruments: four precious metals and three energy contracts. Their published conditions are on the instrument pages, labelled as indicative.

Contract specifications

EnergyBrent crudeUS dollars per barrelXBR/USD instrument page
Precious metalsGoldUS dollars per troy ounceXAU/USD instrument page
EnergyNatural gasUS dollars per million British thermal units at Henry Hub in the United States; euros per megawatt-hour at the Dutch TTF hubXNG/USD instrument page
Precious metalsPalladiumUS dollars per troy ounceXPD/USD instrument page
Precious metalsPlatinumUS dollars per troy ounceXPT/USD instrument page
Precious metalsSilverUS dollars per troy ounceXAG/USD instrument page
EnergyWTI crudeUS dollars per barrelXTI/USD instrument page

The list

Every commodity, by letter.

Search by name, unit or exchange, or show one category. Open an entry for the full page.

In each category:Energy 17Precious metals 5Industrial metals 12Grains & oilseeds 17Softs 9Livestock & dairy 7Other 7

A

AluminiumIndustrial metals
A light metal that does not rust, made by refining bauxite ore into alumina and smelting it with a very large amount of electricity.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Arabica coffeeSofts
The milder of the two main coffee species, grown at altitude in the tropics.
US cents per pound
Not a GIO4X instrument.

B

BarleyGrains & oilseeds
A cereal grown in cooler, drier climates.
The local currency per tonne, for example euros in Europe and Australian dollars in Australia
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Brent crudeEnergy
A blend of light, low-sulphur crude oils from the North Sea.
US dollars per barrel
Traded at GIO4X · XBR/USD
ButterLivestock & dairy
The fat of milk, churned from cream.
US cents per pound in the United States; euros per tonne in Europe
Not a GIO4X instrument.

C

CanolaGrains & oilseeds
A kind of rapeseed bred in Canada to be fit for food.
Canadian dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Carbon allowancesOther
A permit to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide under a cap-and-trade scheme, the best known being the European Union’s Emissions Trading System.
Euros per tonne of carbon dioxide, for European Union allowances
Not a GIO4X instrument.
CheeseLivestock & dairy
Milk concentrated and preserved as curd.
US dollars per pound
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Coal (thermal)Energy
Coal burned to raise steam for generating electricity.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.
CobaltIndustrial metals
A hard, bluish metal that is almost always a by-product of copper or nickel mining.
US dollars per tonne on the LME; often US dollars per pound in the trade
Not a GIO4X instrument.
CocoaSofts
The fermented and dried beans of the cacao tree, which grows only near the equator.
US dollars per tonne in New York; pounds sterling per tonne in London
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Coking coalEnergy
Coal of a grade that can be baked into coke, the hard, porous fuel that a blast furnace needs to turn iron ore into iron.
US dollars per tonne; yuan per tonne in China
Not a GIO4X instrument.
CopperIndustrial metals
A reddish metal that conducts electricity and heat very well.
US dollars per tonne in London; US dollars per pound in New York
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Corn (maize)Grains & oilseeds
The grain harvested in the largest quantity worldwide.
US cents per bushel
Not a GIO4X instrument.
CottonSofts
The fibre that surrounds the seeds of the cotton plant, spun into yarn for clothing and household textiles.
US cents per pound
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Crude palm oilGrains & oilseeds
The oil pressed from the fruit of the oil palm.
Malaysian ringgit per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.

D

Diesel and gasoilEnergy
The middle part of what a refinery makes from crude oil.
US dollars per tonne in Europe; US dollars per gallon in the United States
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Dubai crudeEnergy
A medium-density crude oil with more sulphur than Brent or WTI.
US dollars per barrel
Not a GIO4X instrument.

E

ElectricityEnergy
Power bought and sold for delivery over a grid during a stated period.
The local currency per megawatt-hour
Not a GIO4X instrument.
EthanolEnergy
Alcohol made by fermenting crops, chiefly maize in the United States and sugar cane in Brazil.
US dollars per gallon in the United States
Not a GIO4X instrument.

F

Feeder cattleLivestock & dairy
Young cattle that have been weaned and raised on pasture and are ready to be fattened in a feedlot.
US cents per pound
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Fuel oilEnergy
The heavy, thick part of the barrel left when a refinery has taken off the lighter products.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.

G

Gasoline (petrol)Energy
The fuel of most cars.
US dollars per gallon
Not a GIO4X instrument.
GoldPrecious metals
A dense yellow metal that does not corrode.
US dollars per troy ounce
Traded at GIO4X · XAU/USD

H

Heating oilEnergy
A distillate burned in the furnaces of homes and buildings, mainly in the north-east of the United States.
US dollars per gallon
Not a GIO4X instrument.

I

Iron oreIndustrial metals
The rock from which iron is extracted.
US dollars per dry tonne, for ore of a standard iron content delivered to China; yuan per tonne in China
Not a GIO4X instrument.

J

Jet fuelEnergy
A kerosene refined to strict standards for aircraft turbines.
US dollars per barrel in Asia, US dollars per tonne in Europe and US cents per gallon in the United States
Not a GIO4X instrument.

K

Kansas wheatGrains & oilseeds
Hard red winter wheat, sown in autumn on the southern Great Plains of the United States.
US cents per bushel
Not a GIO4X instrument.

L

LeadIndustrial metals
A soft, heavy metal.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Lean hogsLivestock & dairy
Pigs raised to slaughter weight.
US cents per pound
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG)Energy
Natural gas cooled until it becomes a liquid, so that it can be carried by ship to places that pipelines do not reach.
US dollars per million British thermal units
Not a GIO4X instrument.
LithiumIndustrial metals
The lightest metal.
Yuan per tonne in China; US dollars per kilogram or per tonne elsewhere
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Live cattleLivestock & dairy
Cattle that have been fattened in a feedlot and are ready for slaughter.
US cents per pound
Not a GIO4X instrument.
LumberOther
Softwood sawn to standard sizes for framing houses.
US dollars per thousand board feet
Not a GIO4X instrument.

M

MilkLivestock & dairy
Raw milk from dairy farms.
US dollars per hundredweight (100 pounds)
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Milling wheatGrains & oilseeds
Soft wheat of a quality fit for bread flour.
Euros per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.
MolybdenumIndustrial metals
A metal added to steel to make it harder and more resistant to heat and corrosion.
US dollars per pound of molybdenum contained in the oxide
Not a GIO4X instrument.

N

NaphthaEnergy
A light liquid distilled from crude oil.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Natural gasEnergy
A gas, mostly methane, burned for heating, electricity generation and industrial heat, and used to make fertiliser.
US dollars per million British thermal units at Henry Hub in the United States; euros per megawatt-hour at the Dutch TTF hub
Traded at GIO4X · XNG/USD
NickelIndustrial metals
A silvery metal that resists corrosion.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.

O

OatsGrains & oilseeds
A cereal eaten as porridge, breakfast cereals and oat drinks, and fed to horses and other livestock.
US cents per bushel
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Olive oilGrains & oilseeds
The oil pressed from olives, graded by acidity and taste from extra virgin downwards.
Euros per tonne or per 100 kilograms
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Orange juiceSofts
Orange juice with most of the water removed and the concentrate frozen, so that it can be stored and shipped.
US cents per pound of juice solids
Not a GIO4X instrument.

P

PalladiumPrecious metals
A silvery metal of the platinum group.
US dollars per troy ounce
Traded at GIO4X · XPD/USD
PlatinumPrecious metals
A dense, silvery precious metal.
US dollars per troy ounce
Traded at GIO4X · XPT/USD
PotatoesOther
A staple food crop.
Euros per 100 kilograms
Not a GIO4X instrument.
PropaneEnergy
A gas that liquefies under modest pressure, obtained when natural gas is processed and crude oil is refined.
US cents per gallon in the United States; US dollars per tonne elsewhere
Not a GIO4X instrument.

R

RapeseedGrains & oilseeds
An oilseed with bright yellow flowers, grown across northern Europe.
Euros per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Rare earthsIndustrial metals
A group of seventeen metallic elements, among them neodymium and dysprosium.
Per kilogram or per tonne of oxide, most often in yuan
Not a GIO4X instrument.
RhodiumPrecious metals
The rarest of the platinum-group metals, recovered in small amounts as a by-product of platinum mining.
US dollars per troy ounce
Not a GIO4X instrument.
RiceGrains & oilseeds
A staple food for a large part of the world’s people.
US dollars per hundredweight in Chicago; US dollars per tonne for Asian exports
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Robusta coffeeSofts
The hardier of the two main coffee species, grown at lower altitudes.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.
RubberOther
Natural rubber, made from the latex tapped from rubber trees.
Yen per kilogram in Osaka; US cents per kilogram in Singapore; yuan per tonne in Shanghai
Not a GIO4X instrument.

S

SalmonOther
Farmed Atlantic salmon, raised in sea pens.
Norwegian kroner per kilogram
Not a GIO4X instrument.
SilverPrecious metals
A white metal that is both precious and industrial.
US dollars per troy ounce
Traded at GIO4X · XAG/USD
Soybean mealGrains & oilseeds
The protein-rich solid left when soybeans are crushed for their oil.
US dollars per short ton
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Soybean oilGrains & oilseeds
The oil pressed from soybeans.
US cents per pound
Not a GIO4X instrument.
SoybeansGrains & oilseeds
An oilseed and the world’s main source of protein for animal feed.
US cents per bushel
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Spring wheatGrains & oilseeds
Hard red spring wheat, sown in spring on the northern Great Plains and harvested in late summer.
US cents per bushel
Not a GIO4X instrument.
SteelIndustrial metals
An alloy of iron and carbon, made from iron ore and coking coal in blast furnaces or from scrap in electric furnaces.
US dollars per short ton for hot-rolled coil in the United States; yuan per tonne for reinforcing bar in China
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Sugar (raw)Softs
Sugar as it leaves the mill, before refining.
US cents per pound
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Sunflower oilGrains & oilseeds
The oil pressed from sunflower seeds, used for cooking and in processed food.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.

T

TeaSofts
The dried leaves of the tea bush, plucked largely by hand.
US dollars or the local currency per kilogram, at auction
Not a GIO4X instrument.
TinIndustrial metals
A soft, silvery metal.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.

U

UraniumEnergy
A heavy metal, traded as the oxide concentrate known as yellowcake.
US dollars per pound of uranium oxide
Not a GIO4X instrument.
UreaOther
The most widely used nitrogen fertiliser.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.

V

VanillaSofts
The cured seed pods of a climbing orchid.
US dollars per kilogram
Not a GIO4X instrument.

W

WheatGrains & oilseeds
The grain of bread, pasta and noodles, grown on more land than any other crop.
US cents per bushel
Not a GIO4X instrument.
White sugarSofts
Refined sugar, ready for use by food manufacturers and households.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.
Whole milk powderLivestock & dairy
Milk dried to a powder with its fat left in, so that it can be stored and shipped without refrigeration.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.
WoolOther
The fleece of sheep, graded by the fineness of its fibre.
Australian cents per kilogram of clean wool
Not a GIO4X instrument.
WTI crudeEnergy
West Texas Intermediate, a light, low-sulphur crude oil delivered by pipeline at Cushing, Oklahoma.
US dollars per barrel
Traded at GIO4X · XTI/USD

Y

Yellow maizeGrains & oilseeds
Maize as traded in South Africa, where yellow maize, used mainly for animal feed, and white maize, the staple food of southern Africa, have separate contracts.
South African rand per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.

Z

ZincIndustrial metals
A bluish-white metal.
US dollars per tonne
Not a GIO4X instrument.

How these pages are written

This is a reference, not a price list. No page gives a price, a production figure, a market share or a forecast: those change daily or yearly and GIO4X has no licensed source for them connected to this website. What is given is durable and widely known: what the commodity is, the unit it is quoted in, the exchanges where its reference contract is listed and the producing regions.

“What commonly moves it” describes the things people who follow that market usually watch. It explains; it does not predict, and it is not a reason to trade. Contract units and exchange listings do change, so for a current specification read the exchange’s own rulebook.

Only the 7 commodities marked “Traded at GIO4X” are GIO4X instruments. Every other entry says plainly that it is not offered. Educational information, not investment advice or a recommendation to trade.

How a raw material is traded at all (the spot market, futures and CFDs, contango and backwardation, rollover, seasons and delivery) is set out on one page: How commodities trade.

Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade foreign exchange you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose.

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Commodities, A to Z

How these pages are written

How a raw material is traded at all (the spot market, futures and CFDs, contango and backwardation, rollover, seasons and delivery) is set out on one page: How commodities trade.