17 CFR Part 30 - FOREIGN FUTURES AND FOREIGN OPTIONS TRANSACTIONS

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission or CFTC) is granting an exemption to certain firms designated by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (HKSFC) from the application of certain of the Commission's foreign futures and option regulations based upon substituted compliance with certain comparable regulatory and self-regulatory requirements of a foreign regulatory authority consistent with conditions specified by the Commission, as set forth herein. This Order is issued pursuant to Commission Regulation 30.10, which permits persons to file a petition with the Commission for exemption from the application of certain of the Regulations set forth in Part 30 and authorizes the Commission to grant such an exemption if such action would not be otherwise contrary to the public interest or to the purposes of the provision from which exemption is sought. The Commission notes that the relief granted by this Order is not applicable to any licensed corporation subject to joint oversight by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the HKSFC, or to any registered institution subject to oversight solely by the HKMA. Further, this Order does not pertain to any transaction in swaps, as defined in Section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) is correcting final rules published in the Federal Register of November 14, 2013 (“final rules”). Those rules, which adopted new regulations and amended existing regulations requiring enhanced customer protections, risk management programs, internal monitoring and controls, capital and liquidity standards, customer disclosures, and auditing and examination programs for futures commission merchants, took effect on January 13, 2014. This correction amends erroneous cross-references found in three sections of the final rules. Additionally, this correction amends one section of the final rules to insert language that was in the proposed rulemaking, and which was stated as being adopted in the preamble to the final rules, but was erroneously omitted from the final rule text.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is correcting final rules published in the Federal Register of November 14, 2013 (78 FR 68506). Those rules, 17 CFR Parts 1, 3, 22, 30, and 140, took effect on January 13, 2014. This correction amends Appendix E to Part 30 correcting a typographical error contained in that appendix.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“Commission” or “CFTC”) is adopting new regulations and amending existing regulations to require enhanced customer protections, risk management programs, internal monitoring and controls, capital and liquidity standards, customer disclosures, and auditing and examination programs for futures commission merchants (“FCMs”). The regulations also address certain related issues concerning derivatives clearing organizations (“DCOs”) and chief compliance officers (“CCOs”). The final rules will afford greater assurances to market participants that: Customer segregated funds, secured amount funds, and cleared swaps funds are protected; customers are provided with appropriate notice of the risks of futures trading and of the FCMs with which they may choose to do business; FCMs are monitoring and managing risks in a robust manner; the capital and liquidity of FCMs are strengthened to safeguard their continued operations; and the auditing and examination programs of the Commission and the self-regulatory organizations (“SROs”) are monitoring the activities of FCMs in a prudent and thorough manner.

On November 14, 2012, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“Commission”) published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (the “Customer Protection Proposal”) 1 to adopt new regulations and amend existing regulations to require enhanced customer protections, risk management programs, internal monitoring and controls, capital and liquidity standards, customer disclosures, and auditing and examination programs for futures commission merchants (“FCMs”). The Customer Protection Proposal also addressed certain related issues concerning derivatives clearing organizations (“DCOs”) and chief compliance officers (“CCOs”). In order to provide interested parties with an additional opportunity to comment on the Customer Protection Proposal, the Commission is extending the comment period for the Customer Protection Proposal. 1 See Enhancing Protections Afforded Customers and Customer Funds Held by Futures Commission Merchants and Derivatives Clearing Organizations, 77 FR 67866 (Nov. 14, 2012).