A series of market education program, so named as Trip of Metals, was kicked off by a Investment Seminar for Aluminium Consuming Enterprises in 2006 in Shanghai on June 24.

The program will be one of SHFE major efforts this year to develop market participants and educate them on how to use SHFE listed products, particularly the metals products such as aluminum. "We need to step up our efforts in nourishing and servicing the market users."said by Mr. HUO Ruirong, Executive Vice President of SHFE.

The program will comprise of various activities, eg, educational workshops, seminars, on-site visits.

The premiere event was attended by about 30 domestic aluminum consuming enterprises and international conglomerates such as ALCOA, Glencore.

It was broadly agreed upon on the event that the hedging needs for the consumers of aluminum had become stronger with the prices of raw materials reached to historic highs recently.