Market regulation · 07/04/2000
Chicago Mercantile Exchange's Proposal To Adopt Block Trading Procedures
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange ("CME" or "Exchange") has submitted proposed new Rule 526 to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("Commission") that would establish block trading procedures at the Exchange. Under these procedures, qualified market participants would be allowed to negotiate and arrange futures transactions of a minimum size bilaterally away from the centralized, competitive market. Once the specific terms of the block transaction have been agreed to, the counterparties would report the relevant details of the transaction to a designated Exchange official for clearing and settlement. The CME is seeking to allow block trading in its Five-Year and Ten-Year Agency Note futures contracts on a one-year pilot program basis. This proposal is the second contract market proposal that the Commission has received that would allow block trading. Acting pursuant to the authority delegated by Commission Regulation 140.96(b), the Division of Trading and Markets ("Division") has determined to publish the CME's proposal for public comment. The Division believes that publication of the proposal is in the public interest and will assist the Commission in considering the views of i