Loading ...So I went back and got a further contradiction. Wasn’t just LOF THIS ONE ADDED. . I copied this one. Demand is outpacing supply badly and I’m guessing they don’t want it known.
Yes, reports confirm that China (via the Shanghai Futures Exchange, or SHFE) announced an emergency halt/suspension of silver futures trading on April 15, 2026, effective from the morning of April 16, 2026.
Key Details
- On April 15 (around 2:47 p.m. Shanghai time), SHFE issued an official emergency notice (filing SHFE 2026047) suspending all silver futures contracts. This was described as indefinite or emergency in nature, affecting new positions and all contract months, amid extreme physical delivery demand and low inventories (e.g., delivery requests nearing registered stocks of around 663 tonnes / ~21 million ounces).
- The halt was not a routine circuit breaker (which can trigger at 17–20% daily limits) but tied to surging physical silver demand in China, inventory strains, and market abnormalities. Shanghai’s silver market handles a large share (often cited as ~40%) of global physical silver trading volume.
- A related but separate event: China’s Guotou Ruiyuan Silver LOF (a silver futures-linked fund, code 161226) also halted trading on April 16 due to large premiums to net asset value.
Hedge Funds and International Trading
Hedge funds and other international participants could still buy and sell silver futures on other major exchanges like COMEX (part of CME Group in the US), which remained open and active. Silver futures continued trading there, with prices around $79–$80/oz in mid-April 2026.
- SHFE silver is a physically delivered, RMB-denominated contract primarily for domestic Chinese participants and industrial demand.
- COMEX/LBMA markets (dollar-based, often more “paper”/financial trading) allow global hedge funds, banks, and speculators to continue trading without interruption from the SHFE halt.
- The suspension likely shifted some pressure/demand toward COMEX, contributing to volatility, potential upward price pressure, and higher physical premiums elsewhere.
Broader Context
This fits into ongoing 2026 dynamics: China reclassified silver as a strategic material with export licensing (effective Jan 1, 2026, limited to select firms), strong industrial/ investment demand, and global supply strains. Earlier silver fund halts (e.g., UBS SDIC in Feb/Jan 2026) were due to premiums or selloffs, but the April SHFE action was more directly a futures trading suspension.
Note: Information comes from news reports, Reddit discussions of the notice, and YouTube analyses referencing the SHFE filing—official SHFE pages showed delayed or limited data post-halt. Markets can change quickly; check SHFE/CME sites or reliable financial news for the latest status.