Commodity derivatives regulation gathers pace outside EU and US

Although much of the recent focus has been on rules in the European Union and the US, other jurisdictions across the globe are also weighing changes to the way they regulate over-the-counter commodity derivatives. In some cases, these could have significant implications for market participants. By Gillian Carr

Over-the-counter commodity derivatives represent a tiny part of a big jigsaw puzzle. By the end of 2012, the size of the OTC commodity derivatives market stood at $2.6 trillion in notional value, according to the Basel-based Bank for International Settlements, while the wider OTC derivatives market represented a staggering $633 trillion. Despite this, the 2008 financial crisis has generated a major shift in the regulation of OTC derivatives globally – and OTC commodity derivatives are not immune