On October 18, 2018, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
(CFTC) published a proposal in the Federal Register (Proposed
Rule)1
to amend several key compliance and registration regulations
governing commodity pool operators (CPOs) and commodity trading
advisors (CTAs). The overarching goal of the CFTC's proposal is
to simplify and modernize those regulations by codifying (and, in
certain respects, expanding upon) relief in long-standing CFTC
staff advisories and no-action letters.2
Registration Exemption for CPOs Operating in Multiple
Jurisdictions
The CFTC proposes to amend CFTC Regulation 4.13 (which provides
exemptions from CPO registration) so that a CPO would not have to
register as a CPO with respect to any of its offshore pools for
which the CPO solicits and/or accepts funds only from persons
located outside the U.S. This registration exemption would be
available on a pool-by-pool basis, meaning that the CPO could claim
the exemption with respect to its