On April 13, the National Futures Association (NFA) issued Notice I-21-15 advising members firms that new NFA Compliance Rule 2-50 and its related Interpretive Notice become effective June 30. (The proposal of the new rule and Interpretive Notice was discussed in the March 12, 2021 edition of Corporate & Financial Weekly Digest.)
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NFA Proposes Compliance Rule 2-50 and Related Interpretive Notice
On March 5, the National Futures Association (NFA) submitted to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) proposed new Compliance Rule 2-50 and a related Interpretive Notice.
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CFTC Approves Certain Final Rules Amending Margin Requirements for Certain Uncleared Swaps and Exemptions From Registration for Certain Foreign Intermediaries
On October 15, at the same open meeting in which it approved the final rule on position limits, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission unanimously approved two other unrelated final rules.
The first final rule extends the compliance date one year, from September 1, 2021 to September 1, 2022, for margin requirements for uncleared swaps for swap dealers and major swap participants for which there is no banking regulator. This rule will be effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.
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CFTC Unanimously Approves Amendments to Form CPO-PQR
On October 6, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) unanimously approved a final rule adopting amendments to Form CPO-PQR for commodity pool operators (CPOs). These rule changes were originally proposed in April and were the subject of a Katten client advisory, available here.
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CFTC Unanimously Approves Final Rule Regarding CPO Registration Exemption
At its open meeting on June 4, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) unanimously approved a final rule prohibiting persons from seeking to claim a Commodity Pool Operator registration exemption under CFTC Rule 4.13 who are, or whose principals are, subject to any of the statutory disqualifications listed in Section 8a(2) of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA).
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CFTC Holds Open Commission Meeting
On May 28, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) held an open meeting to consider staff recommendations regarding amendments to two CFTC regulations. Both recommendations were approved by a unanimous 5-0 vote. Neither staff document is currently available.
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CFTC Approves Proposed Rules on Filing Requirements for CPOs and Clearing Requirements for Certain Institutions
On April 14, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) at its open meeting unanimously approved two proposed rules regarding (1) amendments to Form CPO-PQR and related filing requirements for commodity pool oOperators (CPOs); and (2) amendments to the rules governing the treatment of swaps entered into by certain financial institutions.
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Regulatory Relief Issued for CPOs and CTAs
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight (DSIO) issued no-action relief to commodity pool operators (CPOs) extending the upcoming filing deadlines for required pool quarterly reports on CFTC Form CPO-PQR, as well as annual reports and periodic account statements provided to pool participants. National Futures Association (NFA) also issued similar relief to CPOs for pool quarterly reporting requirements on NFA Form PQR and to commodity trading advisors (CTAs) for quarterly filings on NFA Form PR.
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CFTC Issues Customer Advisory Regarding COVID-19 Related Fraud
On March 18, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a Customer Advisory warning the public to watch for fraudulent schemes attempting to profit from recent market volatility stemming from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The CFTC identified common fraud tactics often used during major news events (such as the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic), including the following:
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NFA’s Swaps Proficiency Requirements Effective and Available Online
On January 27, the National Futures Association (NFA) issued a notice to members as a reminder that the effective date for NFA’s Swaps Proficiency Requirements (Requirements) is January 31, and that the Requirements must be completed by applicable individuals by the January 31, 2021 compliance date. The Requirements are now available online here.
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