By Chris Oliver
HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Credit Suisse joined others Wednesday in predicting that China's commodity-demand peak has passed, saying the nation will no longer serve as a driver in the global commodity supercycle. It said demand for commodities is set to trend lower as China's growth rate cools and its economic focus switches to consumerism. Among factors weighing negatively, Credit Suisse cited the end of the infrastructure-building frenzy, a housing market boom that now appears to be in its twilight stage, and the dying out of what it said was the "golden age" of government stimulus to help drive growth. "We see China's trending growth pace as likely to slow to 7%-8% over the coming decade, while the driver of growth is likely to shift to consumption, which demands less commodities," Credit Suisse analysts said Wednesday. The analysis furthers views from a Credit Suisse report in March highlighting a structural decline in China's commodity demand.
