China's securities regulator said on Wednesday it will soon allow the trading of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) futures to let enterprises hedge against price changes of the plastic.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said it has approved the Dalian Commodity Exchange in northeast China's Liaoning Province of operating PVC trading.

The PVC's prices have seen drastic changes in recent years because of price fluctuations in raw materials such as coal and crude oil, posing risks for PVC producers, dealers and consumers, said the CSRC in a statement.

China is the world's largest PVC manufacturer, with an annual output of 8.82 million tonnes last year.

PVC is a kind of synthetic resin widely used in construction, plumbing, electric wires and packaging.

(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2009)