Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 24, 2024

Title 17 - Commodity and Securities Exchanges last revised: Nov 19, 2024
Appendix Appendix A - Appendix A to Part 150—List of Enumerated Bona Fide Hedges

Pursuant to § 150.3(a)(1)(i), positions that comply with the bona fide hedging transaction or position definition in § 150.1 and that are enumerated in this appendix A may exceed Federal speculative position limits to the extent that all applicable requirements in this part are met. A person holding such positions enumerated in this appendix A may exceed Federal speculative position limits for such positions without requesting prior approval under § 150.3 or § 150.9. A person holding such positions that are not enumerated in this appendix A must request and obtain approval pursuant to § 150.3 or § 150.9 prior to exceeding the applicable Federal speculative position limits—unless such positions qualify for the retroactive approval process, and the person seeks retroactive approval in accordance with § 150.3 or § 150.9.

The enumerated bona fide hedges do not state the exclusive means for establishing compliance with the bona fide hedging transaction or position definition in § 150.1 or with the requirements of § 150.3(a)(1).

(a) Enumerated hedges—(1) Hedges of inventory and cash commodity fixed-price purchase contracts. Short positions in commodity derivative contracts that do not exceed in quantity the sum of the person's ownership of inventory and fixed-price purchase contracts in the commodity derivative contracts' underlying cash commodity.

(2) Hedges of cash commodity fixed-price sales contracts. Long positions in commodity derivative contracts that do not exceed in quantity the sum of the person's fixed-price sales contracts in the commodity derivative contracts' underlying cash commodity and the quantity equivalent of fixed-price sales contracts of the cash products and by-products of such commodity.

(3) Hedges of offsetting unfixed-price cash commodity sales and purchases. Both short and long positions in commodity derivative contracts that do not exceed in quantity the amount of the commodity derivative contracts' underlying cash commodity that has been both bought and sold by the same person at unfixed prices:

(i) Basis different delivery months in the same commodity derivative contract; or

(ii) Basis different commodity derivative contracts in the same commodity, regardless of whether the commodity derivative contracts are in the same calendar month.

(4) Hedges of unsold anticipated production. Short positions in commodity derivative contracts that do not exceed in quantity the person's unsold anticipated production of the commodity derivative contracts' underlying cash commodity.

(5) Hedges of unfilled anticipated requirements. Long positions in commodity derivative contracts that do not exceed in quantity the person's unfilled anticipated requirements for the commodity derivative contracts' underlying cash commodity, for processing, manufacturing, or use by that person, or for resale by a utility as it pertains to the utility's obligations to meet the unfilled anticipated demand of its customers for the customer's use.

(6) Hedges of anticipated merchandising. Long or short positions in commodity derivative contracts that offset the anticipated change in value of the underlying commodity that a person anticipates purchasing or selling, provided that:

(i) The positions in the commodity derivative contracts do not exceed in quantity twelve months' of current or anticipated purchase or sale requirements of the same cash commodity that is anticipated to be purchased or sold; and

(ii) The person is a merchant handling the underlying commodity that is subject to the anticipatory merchandising hedge, and that such merchant is entering into the position solely for purposes related to its merchandising business and has a demonstrated history of buying and selling the underlying commodity for its merchandising business.

(7) Hedges by agents. Long or short positions in commodity derivative contracts by an agent who does not own or has not contracted to sell or purchase the commodity derivative contracts' underlying cash commodity at a fixed price, provided that the agent is responsible for merchandising the cash positions that are being offset in commodity derivative contracts and the agent has a contractual arrangement with the person who owns the commodity or holds the cash-market commitment being offset.

(8) Hedges of anticipated mineral royalties. Short positions in a person's commodity derivative contracts offset by the anticipated change in value of mineral royalty rights that are owned by that person, provided that the royalty rights arise out of the production of the commodity underlying the commodity derivative contracts.

(9) Hedges of anticipated services. Short or long positions in a person's commodity derivative contracts offset by the anticipated change in value of receipts or payments due or expected to be due under an executed contract for services held by that person, provided that the contract for services arises out of the production, manufacturing, processing, use, or transportation of the commodity underlying the commodity derivative contracts.

(10) Offsets of commodity trade options. Long or short positions in commodity derivative contracts that do not exceed in quantity, on a futures-equivalent basis, a position in a commodity trade option that meets the requirements of § 32.3 of this chapter. Such commodity trade option transaction, if it meets the requirements of § 32.3 of this chapter, may be deemed, for purposes of complying with this paragraph (a)(10) of this appendix A, as either a cash commodity purchase or sales contract as set forth in paragraph (a)(1) or (2) of this appendix A, as applicable.

(11) Cross-commodity hedges. Positions in commodity derivative contracts described in paragraph (2) of the bona fide hedging transaction or position definition in § 150.1 or in paragraphs (a)(1) through (10) of this appendix A may also be used to offset the risks arising from a commodity other than the cash commodity underlying the commodity derivative contracts, provided that the fluctuations in value of the cash commodity underlying the commodity derivative contracts, shall be substantially related to the fluctuations in value of the actual or anticipated cash commodity position or a pass-through swap.

(b) [Reserved]

[86 FR 3475, Jan. 14, 2021]
authority: 7 U.S.C. 1a,2,5,6,6a,6c,6f,6g,6t,12a,and,as,Pub. L. 111-203, 124 Stat. 1376 (2010)
source: 52 FR 38923, Oct. 20, 1987, unless otherwise noted.