The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has requested comments on six rule proposals to implement additional provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Registration of Foreign Boards of Trade: Section 738 of the Dodd-Frank Act provides the CFTC with authority to implement a registration system for a foreign board of trade (FBOT) that provides direct access to its trading system to market participants located in the United States. The CFTC’s proposed rules would create a registration process for FBOTs to replace the existing system of staff-issued no-action relief (from which the proposed rules are substantially derived), and would make it unlawful for any FBOT to permit direct access to U.S. participants without first registering with the CFTC. An FBOT that seeks to provide direct access to participants in the United States must submit a registration application to the CFTC that includes information regarding the FBOT’s membership criteria, trading system, contracts to be made available to U.S. participants, settlement and clearing systems, home regulatory regime, and rules and rule enforcement. FBOTs currently operating pursuant to no-action relief would be required to apply for registration pursuant to a “limited” registration application process. The factors to be considered by the CFTC in determining whether to grant an FBOT application are substantially similar to those currently applicable to the no-action review process, including evaluation of whether the FBOT’s home regulatory authority oversees the FBOT in a manner that is comparable to CFTC oversight of designated contract markets (DCMs).