On November 2, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved a final rule exempting swaps entered into by certain financial institutions from the CFTC’s swap-clearing requirement under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA). The exemption applies to swaps entered into by certain central banks, sovereign entities, international financial institutions, bank holding companies, savings and loan holding companies and community development financial institutions. Release.
On June 4, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (“CFTC”) Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight (“DSIO”) issued a No-Action Letter stating that it will not recommend that the CFTC take action for failure to register as an introducing broker or commodity trading advisor against persons located outside the United States that facilitate swap transactions for International Financial Institutions (“IFIs”) that have offices in the United States.
The DSIO took the position that the relief is appropriate in light of the unique attributes and status of IFIs, and in consideration of international comity. In addition, the relief granted is consistent with the CFTC’s prior treatment of IFIs for purposes of foreign futures and options transactions, the swap dealer definition, and mandatory clearing.
DSIO has defined IFIs, for purposes of the no-action letter, in accordance with prior CFTC policy to be the following institutions and organizations: International Monetary Fund, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Development Association, International Finance Corp., Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, African Development Bank, African Development Fund, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Bank for Economic Cooperation and Development in the Middle East and North Africa, Inter-American Investment Corp., Council of Europe Development Bank, Nordic Investment Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Finance Corp. and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency are parts of the World Bank Group).
