Foreign Futures and Options Transactions, 74867-74869 [2020-24661]

Agencies

• Commodity Futures Trading Commission

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 24, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 74867-74869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24661]


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COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION

17 CFR Part 30


Foreign Futures and Options Transactions

AGENCY: Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

ACTION: Order.

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SUMMARY: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission) is 
granting an exemption to UBS AG (UBS), a firm designated by the Swiss 
Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), from the application of 
certain of the Commission's foreign futures and option regulations 
based upon substituted compliance with certain comparable regulatory 
and self-regulatory requirements of a foreign regulatory authority 
consistent with conditions specified by the Commission, as set forth 
herein. This Order is issued pursuant to Commission Sec.  30.10(a), 
which permits persons to file a petition with the Commission for 
exemption from the application of certain of the regulations set forth 
in part 30 and authorizes the Commission to grant such an exemption if 
such action would not be otherwise contrary to the public interest or 
to the purposes of the provision from which exemption is sought. The 
Commission notes that this Order does not pertain to any transaction in 
swaps, as defined in Section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act 
(Act).

DATES: This Order is effective November 24, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew V. Chapin, Associate Chief 
Counsel, (202) 418-5465, [email protected], Division of Swap Dealer and 
Intermediary Oversight, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, 1155 21st 
Street NW, Washington, DC 20581.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission has issued the following 
Order:

Order Under Commission Regulation 30.10 Exempting UBS AG, a Firm 
Designated by the Swiss Financial Market Authority, From the 
Application of Certain of the Foreign Futures and Option Regulations 
the Later of the Date of Publication of the Order Herein in the Federal 
Register or After Filing of Consents by UBS, as Appropriate, to the 
Terms and Conditions of the Order Herein

    Commission Regulations governing the offer and sale of commodity 
futures and option contracts traded on or subject to the regulations of 
a foreign board of trade to customers located in the U.S. are contained 
in Part 30 of the Commission's regulations.\1\ These regulations 
include requirements for intermediaries with respect to registration, 
disclosure, capital adequacy, protection of customer funds, 
recordkeeping and reporting, and sales practice and compliance 
procedures that are generally comparable to those applicable to 
transactions on U.S. markets. In formulating a regulatory program to 
govern the offer and sale of foreign futures and option products to 
customers located in the U.S., the Commission, among other things, 
considered the desirability of ameliorating the potential impact of 
such a program. Based upon these considerations, the Commission 
determined to permit persons located outside the U.S. and subject to a 
comparable regulatory structure in the jurisdiction in which they were 
located to seek an exemption from certain of the requirements under 
Part 30 of the Commission's regulations based upon substituted 
compliance with the regulatory requirements of the foreign 
jurisdiction.\2\
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    \1\ Commission regulations referred to herein are found at 17 
CFR Ch. I.
    \2\ ``Foreign Futures and Foreign Options Transactions,'' 52 FR 
28290 (Aug. 5, 1987).
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    Pursuant to Sec.  30.10(a), persons located outside the U.S. and 
subject to a comparable regulatory structure in the jurisdiction in 
which they are located may seek an exemption from certain of the 
requirements under Part 30 of the Commission's regulations based upon 
compliance with the regulatory requirements of the person's home 
jurisdiction.\3\ Although a petition for exemption pursuant to Sec.  
30.10(a) typically is filed on behalf of persons located and doing 
business outside the U.S. that seek access to U.S. customers by a 
governmental agency responsible for implementing and enforcing the 
foreign regulatory program, or a self-regulatory organization (SRO) of 
which such persons are members, there is nothing to prevent an 
individual or firm from submitting a petition on its own behalf. A 
petitioner who seeks an exemption pursuant to Sec.  30.10(a) must set 
forth with particularity the comparable regulations applicable in the 
jurisdiction in which that person is located. Appendix A to Part 30, 
``Interpretative Statement With Respect to the Commission's Exemptive 
Authority Under Sec.  30.10 of Its Rules'' (Appendix A), generally sets 
forth the elements the Commission will evaluate in determining whether 
a particular regulatory program may be found to be comparable for 
purposes of exemptive relief pursuant to Sec.  30.10.\4\ These elements 
include: (1) Registration, authorization or other form of licensing, 
fitness review or qualification of persons that solicit and accept 
customer orders; (2) minimum financial requirements for those persons 
who accept customer funds; (3) protection of customer funds from 
misapplication; (4) recordkeeping and reporting requirements; (5) sales 
practice standards; and (6) procedures to audit for compliance with, 
and to take action against those persons who violate, the requirements 
of the program. In addition, Appendix A to Part 30 further provides 
that any exemption of a general nature based on comparability requires 
appropriate information sharing arrangements between the Commission and 
the appropriate governmental agency and/or self-regulatory organization 
to ensure Commission access on an ``as needed'' basis to information 
essential to maintaining standards of customer and market protection 
within the U.S.
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    \3\ 17 CFR 30.10(a).
    \4\ 52 FR 28990, 29001.
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    The Commission specifically stated in adopting Sec.  30.10 that no 
exemption of a general nature would be granted unless the persons to 
whom the exemption is to be applied: (1) Submit to jurisdiction in the 
U.S. by designating an agent for

[[Page 74868]]

service of process in the U.S. with respect to transactions subject to 
Part 30 and filing a copy of the agency agreement with the National 
Futures Association (NFA); (2) agree to provide access to their books 
and records in the U.S. to the Commission and Department of Justice 
representatives; and (3) notify NFA of the commencement of business in 
the U.S.\5\ Appendix A specifically states that in considering an 
exemption request, the Commission will take into account the extent to 
which United States persons or contracts regulated by the Commission 
are permitted to engage in futures-related activities or be offered in 
the country from which an exemption is sought.\6\
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    \5\ 52 FR 28980, 28981 and 29002.
    \6\ 17 CFR part 30, Appendix A.
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    On May 24, 2019, UBS, a financial investment business organized and 
located in Switzerland, petitioned the Commission for an exemption from 
the application of the Commission's Part 30 Regulations. In support of 
its petition, UBS stated that granting such an exemption to conduct 
foreign futures and option transactions on behalf of customers located 
in the U.S. without having to register as a futures commission merchant 
would not be contrary to the public interest or to the purposes of the 
provisions from which the exemption is sought because UBS is subject to 
a regulatory framework comparable to that imposed by the Act and the 
regulations thereunder. Based upon a review of the UBS petition, the 
Commission has concluded that UBS has demonstrated to the Commission's 
satisfaction that the exemption for relief pursuant to Sec.  30.10(a) 
is not otherwise contrary to the public interest or to the purposes of 
the provisions from which exemption is sought. Accordingly, the 
Commission has determined that compliance with applicable Swiss law may 
be substituted for compliance with those sections of the Act and 
regulations thereunder more particularly set forth herein.
    By this Order, the Commission hereby exempts UBS, subject to 
specified conditions, from the following regulatory requirements:
     Registration with the Commission for firm and for firm 
representatives;
     The requirement in Commission Sec.  30.6(a) and (d), 17 
CFR 30.6(a) and (d), that the firm provide customers located in the 
U.S. with the risk disclosure statements in Commission Regulation 
1.55(b), 17 CFR 1.55(b), and Commission Regulation 33.7, 17 CFR 33.7, 
or as otherwise approved under Commission Regulation 1.55(c), 17 CFR 
1.55(c);
     The separate account requirement contained in Commission 
Sec.  30.7, 17 CFR 30.7;
     Those sections of Part 1 of the Commission's regulations 
that apply to foreign futures and options sold in the U.S. as set forth 
in Part 30; and
     Those sections of Part 1 of the Commission's regulations 
relating to books and records which apply to transactions subject to 
Part 30,

based upon substituted compliance by such persons with the applicable 
statutes and regulations in effect in Switzerland.
    This determination to permit substituted compliance is based on, 
among other things, the Commission's finding that the regulatory 
framework governing UBS hereunder provides:
    (1) A system of qualification or authorization of firms who deal in 
transactions subject to regulation under Part 30 that includes, for 
example, criteria and procedures for granting, monitoring, suspending 
and revoking licenses, and provisions for requiring and obtaining 
access to information about authorized firms and persons who act on 
behalf of such firms;
    (2) Financial requirements for firms including, without limitation, 
a requirement for a minimum level of working capital and daily mark-to-
market settlement and/or accounting procedures;
    (3) A system for the protection of customer assets that is designed 
to preclude the use of customer assets to satisfy house obligations and 
requires separate accounting for such assets;
    (4) Recordkeeping and reporting requirements pertaining to 
financial and trade information;
    (5) Sales practice standards for authorized firms and persons 
acting on their behalf that include, for example, required disclosures 
to prospective customers and prohibitions on improper trading advice;
    (6) Procedures to audit for compliance with, and to redress 
violations of, the customer protection and sales practice requirements 
referred to above, including, without limitation, an affirmative 
surveillance program designed to detect trading activities that take 
advantage of customers, and the existence of broad powers of 
investigation relating to sales practice abuses; and
    (7) Mechanisms for sharing of information between the Commission, 
UBS, and the Swiss regulatory authority on an ``as needed'' basis 
including, without limitation, confirmation data, data necessary to 
trace funds related to trading futures products subject to regulation 
in Switzerland, position data, and data on firms' standing to do 
business and financial condition.
    In particular, Commission staff has concluded, upon review of the 
petition of UBS and accompanying exhibits, that FINMA's regulation of 
financial futures and options intermediaries is comparable to that of 
the U.S. in the areas specified in Appendix A of Part 30, as described 
above.
    This Order does not provide an exemption from any provision of the 
Act or regulations thereunder not specified herein, such as the 
antifraud provision in Sec.  30.9. Moreover, the relief granted is 
limited to brokerage activities undertaken on behalf of customers 
located in the U.S. with respect to otherwise permitted transactions on 
or subject to the rules of any other non-U.S. market where UBS is 
authorized by Swiss law to conduct brokerage activities. The relief 
does not extend to regulations relating to trading, directly or 
indirectly, on U.S. exchanges, and does not pertain to any transaction 
in swaps, as defined in Section 1a(47) of the Act. For example, UBS 
trading for its own account in U.S. markets would be subject to the 
Commission's large trader reporting requirements.\7\ Similarly, if UBS 
were carrying positions on a U.S. exchange on behalf of foreign clients 
and submitted such transactions for clearing on an omnibus basis 
through a firm registered as a futures commission merchant under the 
Act, it would be subject to the reporting requirements applicable to 
foreign brokers.\8\ The relief herein is inapplicable where UBS 
solicits or accepts orders from customers located in the U.S. for 
transactions on U.S. markets. In that case, UBS must comply with all 
applicable U.S. laws and regulations, including the requirement to 
register in the appropriate capacity.
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    \7\ See, e.g., 17 CFR part 18.
    \8\ See, e.g., 17 CFR parts 17 and 21.
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    The eligibility of UBS to seek relief under this exemptive Order is 
subject to certain conditions. Specifically, UBS must represent in 
writing to the Commission that it:
    (1) Is licensed as a financial investment business and is otherwise 
in good standing under the standards in place in Switzerland; and it 
will notify the Commission and NFA promptly of any change in its status 
as a financial investment business that would affect its continued 
eligibility for the exemption granted hereunder, including the 
termination of its activities in the U.S., and of any information that 
affects its financial or operational viability

[[Page 74869]]

under the exemption granted by this Order;
    (2) Consents to jurisdiction in the U.S. under the Act by filing a 
valid and binding appointment of an agent in the U.S. for service of 
process in accordance with the requirements set forth in Commission 
Sec.  30.5;
    (3) Is located outside the U.S., its territories and possessions 
and, where applicable, has subsidiaries or affiliates domiciled in the 
U.S. with a related business (e.g., banks and broker/dealer affiliates) 
along with a brief description of each subsidiary's or affiliate's 
identity and principal business in the U.S.;
    (4) Has no principal or employee who solicits or accepts orders 
from customers located in the U.S. who would be disqualified under 
Section 8a(2) of the Act, 7 U.S.C. 12a(2), from doing business in the 
U.S.;
    (5) Undertakes to comply with the applicable provisions of Swiss 
laws and FINMA rules that form the basis upon which this exemption from 
certain provisions of the Act and regulations thereunder is granted, 
and will notify the Commission promptly of all material changes to the 
relevant laws in Switzerland, any rules promulgated thereunder and 
FINMA rules;
    (6) Will provide customers located in the U.S. no less stringent 
regulatory protection than Switzerland customers under all relevant 
provisions of Swiss law;
    (7) Will cooperate with the Commission with respect to any 
inquiries concerning any activity subject to regulation under the Part 
30 Regulations, and agrees to provide access to its books and records 
related to transactions under Part 30 required to be maintained under 
the applicable statutes and regulations in effect in Switzerland upon 
the request of any representative of the Commission or U.S. Department 
of Justice at the place in the U.S. designated by such representative, 
within 72 hours, or such lesser period of time as specified by that 
representative as may be reasonable under the circumstances after 
notice of the request; and
    (8) Consents to participate in any NFA arbitration program that 
offers a procedure for resolving customer disputes on the papers where 
such disputes involve representations or activities with respect to 
transactions under Part 30, and consents to notify customers located in 
the U.S. of the availability of such a program; provided, however, that 
the firm may require its customers located in the U.S. to execute a 
consent concerning the exhaustion of certain mediation or conciliation 
procedures made available by FINMA prior to bringing an NFA arbitration 
proceeding.
    As set forth in the Commission's September 11, 1997 Order 
delegating to NFA certain responsibilities, the written representations 
set forth in paragraphs (1)-(8) above shall be filed with NFA.\9\
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    \9\ 62 FR 47792, 47793 (Sept. 11, 1997). Among other duties, the 
Commission authorized NFA to receive requests for confirmation of 
Regulation 30.10 relief on behalf of particular firms, to verify 
such firms' fitness and compliance with the conditions of the 
appropriate Regulation 30.10 Order and to grant exemptive relief 
from registration to qualifying firms.
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    This Order will become effective as to UBS the later of the date of 
publication of the Order in the Federal Register or the filing of the 
consents set forth above. Should the Commission receive written notice 
from FINMA or UBS that any change in status of UBS affects its 
continued eligibility for the exemption granted hereunder, including 
the termination of its activities in the U.S., the relief granted by 
this Order may be suspended immediately as to UBS. That suspension will 
remain in effect pending further notice by the Commission, or the 
Commission's designee, to UBS and FINMA.
    This Order is issued pursuant to Regulation 30.10 based on the 
representations made and supporting material provided to the Commission 
and the recommendation of the staff, and is made effective as to UBS 
granted relief hereunder based upon the filing and representations of 
UBS required hereunder. Any material changes or omissions in the facts 
and circumstances pursuant to which this Order is granted might require 
the Commission to reconsider its finding that the exemption is not 
otherwise contrary to the public interest or to the purposes of the 
provision from which exemption is sought. Further, if experience 
demonstrates that the continued effectiveness of this Order in general 
would be contrary to public policy or the public interest, or that the 
systems in place for the exchange of information or other circumstances 
do not warrant continuation of the exemptive relief granted herein, the 
Commission may, after appropriate notice and opportunity to respond, 
condition, modify, suspend, terminate, withhold as to UBS, or otherwise 
restrict the exemptive relief granted in this Order, as appropriate and 
as permitted by law, on its own motion. The process by which the 
Commission may terminate relief is set forth in Sec.  30.10(c).\10\
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    \10\ 17 CFR 30.10(c). See 85 FR 15359 (Mar. 18, 2020).
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    The Commission will continue to monitor the implementation of its 
program to exempt firms located in jurisdictions generally deemed to 
have a comparable regulatory program from the application of certain of 
the foreign futures and option regulations and will make necessary 
adjustments if appropriate.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 2, 2020, by the 
Commission.
Robert Sidman,
Deputy Secretary of the Commission.

    Note: The following appendix will not appear in the Code of 
Federal Regulations.

Appendix to Foreign Futures and Options Transactions--Commission Voting 
Summary

    On this matter, Chairman Tarbert and Commissioners Quintenz, 
Behnam, Stump, and Berkovitz voted in the affirmative. No 
Commissioner voted in the negative.

[FR Doc. 2020-24661 Filed 11-23-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6351-01-P