August 16, 2010

CFTC Issues Letter to CME Group, Inc. Regarding ELX EFF Rule

Washington, DC – The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Friday, August 13, 2010, sent a letter to CME Group, Inc. regarding a Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) self-certified Market Regulation Advisory Notice issued on October 19, 2009. In that notice, CBOT stated that its rules do not permit the execution of exchange of futures for futures (EFF) transactions. The notice was issued shortly after the CFTC approved an ELX Futures (ELX) rule authorizing participants on ELX to carry out EFF transactions. The Commission’s August 13 letter supports a previous CFTC staff letter regarding this matter.

CBOT justified its action on the grounds that, in its view, EFF transactions are not supported by CFTC precedent and are prohibited under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and CFTC regulations.

The Commission has reviewed the matter and has found that ELX’s EFF transactions are not wash sales and are consistent with Commission precedent. Further, the Commission has found that ELX’s EFF transactions are neither prohibited nor mandated by Core Principle 9. Thus, ELX’s EFFs are not prohibited by the CEA or Commission regulations. The Commission also has directed staff to separately analyze whether CBOT’s October 19, 2009 notice was consistent with the requirements of CEA Core Principle 18 (antitrust considerations). In that regard, CFTC Division of Market Oversight staff simultaneously sent a separate letter to CBOT addressing the Core Principle 18 analysis. Neither the Commission nor Commission staff has made any determination regarding this analysis.

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Last Updated: August 13, 2010