Petition of Hard Eight Futures, LLC for Exemptive Relief, Pursuant to Section 4(c) of the Commodity Exchange Act, From Section 2(a)(1)(C)(iv) of the Commodity Exchange Act and Appendix D to Part 30 of the Rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Résumé

Hard Eight Futures, LLC ("HEF") has petitioned the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("Commission" or "CFTC") for exemptive relief, pursuant to Section 4(c) of the Commodity Exchange Act ("Act" or "CEA"),\1\ to permit U.S. eligible contract participants ("ECPs"),\2\ subject to certain conditions, to trade foreign non- narrow-based security index futures contracts where the foreign exchange has not obtained a staff no-action letter with respect to the offer and sale of such futures contracts to U.S. persons. The conditions proposed in HEF's petition are: (i) Relief is only available for futures on broad-based security indexes; (ii) the securities comprising such an index are principally traded on, by, or through any exchange or market located outside the U.S.; (iii) the Commission must have a Memorandum of Understanding with the foreign exchange's regulator with respect to information sharing and cooperation; \3\ and (iv) an ECP seeking to claim the exemption would file notice with the Commission, which would be effective with respect to that person and index, unless the Commission notifies the person within ten (10) business days that the claimant does not meet the requirements