Market regulation · 06/12/1999
Trade Options on the Enumerated Agricultural Commodities
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission or CFTC) in April 1998, removed a long-standing prohibition on the offer and sale of off-exchange trade options on certain agricultural commodities subject to a number of regulatory requirements. On August 31, 1999, the Commission proposed to amend a number of those requirements. 64 FR 47452. The Commission is adopting as final those proposed amendments. In particular, the Commission is permitting cash settlement and offset or cancellation of agricultural trade options. It is also eliminating the transaction-specific disclosure statement, revising the summary disclosure statement provided to customers when opening an account and streamlining the registration requirements for Agricultural Trade Option Merchants (ATOMs) and their sales agents and certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements. The Commission believes that these amendments will increase the commercial utility of agricultural trade options while maintaining basic customer protections.