Title 17
SECTION 30.10
30.10 Petitions for exemption.
§ 30.10 Petitions for exemption.(a) Any person adversely affected by any requirement of this part may file a petition with the Secretary of the Commission, which petition must set forth with particularity the reasons why that person believes that he should be exempt from such requirement. The Commission may, in its discretion, grant such an exemption if that person demonstrates to the Commission's satisfaction that the exemption is not otherwise contrary to the public interest or to the purposes of the provision from which exemption is sought. The petition will be granted or denied on the basis of the papers filed. The petition may be granted subject to such terms and conditions as the Commission may find appropriate.
(b) Any foreign person that files a petition for an exemption under this section shall be eligible for such an exemption notwithstanding its presence in the United States through U.S. bank branches or divisions if, in conjunction with a petition for confirmation of relief granted under an existing Commission order issued pursuant to this section, it complies with the following conditions:
(1) No U.S. bank branch, office or division will engage in the trading of futures or options on futures within or from the United States, except for its own proprietary account;
(2) No U.S. bank branch, office or division will refer any foreign futures or foreign options customer to the foreign person or otherwise be involved in the foreign person's business in foreign futures or foreign option transactions;
(3) No U.S. bank branch, office or division will solicit any foreign futures or foreign option business or purchase or sell foreign futures or foreign option contracts on behalf of any foreign futures or foreign option customers or otherwise engage in any activity subject to regulation under this part or engage in any clerical duties related thereto. If any U.S. division, office or branch desires to engage in such activities, it will only do so through an appropriate Commission registrant;
(4) The foreign person will maintain outside the United States all contract documents, books and records regarding foreign futures and foreign option transactions;
(5) The foreign person and each of its U.S. bank branches, offices or divisions agree to provide upon request of the Commission, the National Futures Association or the U.S. Department of Justice, access to their books and records for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the foregoing undertakings and consent to make such records available for inspection at a location in the United States within 72 hours after service of the request; and
(6) Although it will continue to engage in normal commercial activities, no U.S. bank branch, office or division of the foreign person will establish relationships in the United States with the applicant's foreign futures or foreign option customers for the purpose of facilitating or effecting transactions in foreign futures or foreign option contracts.
(c)(1) The Commission may, in its discretion and upon its own initiative, terminate the exemptive relief granted to any person pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, after appropriate notice and an opportunity to respond, if the Commission determines that:
(i) There is a material change or omission in the facts and circumstances pursuant to which relief was granted that demonstrate that the standards set forth in appendix A to this part forming the basis for granting such relief are no longer met; or
(ii) The continued effectiveness of any such exemptive relief would be contrary to the public interest or inconsistent with the purposes of the exemption under paragraph (a) of this section; or
(iii) The arrangements in place for the sharing of information with the Commission do not warrant continuation of the exemptive relief granted.
(2) The Commission shall provide written notification to the affected party of its intention to terminate an exemption pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section and the basis for that intention. Such written notification also shall be published prominently on the Commission's website.
(3) The affected party may respond to the notification in writing no later than 30 business days following the receipt of the notification, or at such time as the Commission permits in writing. Any other person may respond to the notification in writing no later than 30 business days following the publication on the Commission's website of the written notice issued to the affected party, or at such time as the Commission permits in writing.
(4) If, after providing any affected person appropriate notice and opportunity to respond, the Commission determines that relief pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section is no longer warranted, the Commission shall notify the person of such determination in writing, including the particular reasons why relief is no longer warranted, and issue an Order Terminating Exemptive Relief. Any Order Terminating Exemptive Relief shall provide an appropriate timeframe for the orderly transfer or close out of any accounts held by U.S. customers impacted by such an Order.
(5) Any person whose relief has been terminated may apply for exemptive relief 360 days after the issuance of the Order Terminating Exemptive Relief if the deficiency causing the revocation has been cured or relevant facts and circumstances have changed.
[52 FR 28998, Aug. 5, 1987, as amended at 69 FR 49803, Aug. 12, 2004; 85 FR 15363, Mar. 18, 2020]