• On 22 February, the new minor metals contracts for cobalt and molybdenum will be launched on all of the LME's three exchange trading venues; LME Select, inter-broker telephone market and open-outcry trading floor.  These new contracts will be cleared by LCH Clearnet.

• Simultaneously, the LME will introduce its new warranting system (LMESword).  This replaces the existing SWORD system and will enable new products to be brought to the market more quickly in the future.

• During the second quarter, merge its two steel billet contracts (Mediterranean and Far East) into one steel futures contract giving one global price.  The new contract specifications will remain the same as the current regional specifications.  To support the merged contract, new delivery locations in North America, Europe and Asia will be listed.

LME - OPEN OUTCRY PLASTICS TRADING TO END

From February 2010, Open Outcry trading in the London Metal Exchange Ring will end.  Plastics futures contracts will subsequently be traded on the Exchange's electronic platform LMESelect and via the telephone market.

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THAILAND FUTURES EXCHANGE - MINI GOLD FUTURES CONTRACT POSTPONED

The Thailand Futures Exchange has postponed the launch of its 10 baht - weight gold futures contract which was planned for introduction on 8 February 2010.  This is to provide more time and to ensure greater understanding of the new product.  The Exchange will announce a new launch date following discussion with its members.

For more information, please go to:-

http://www.set.or.th/dat/news/201001/10000752.pdf


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NATIONAL COMMODITY EXCHANGE OF PAKISTAN - NEW PRODUCTS PLANNED FOR 2010

The National Commodity Exchange of Pakistan (NCEL), based in Islamabad, plans to list additional metal, agricultural and financial futures contracts during 2010.  Currently, NCEL's product profile covers a broad range of asset classes including metals (gold and silver) energy (crude oil futures contract), agriculture and soft commodities (IRRI-6 rice futures contract) and financial futures (KIBOR futures contract).

For more information, please go to:-

http://www.ncel.com.pk/PressRelease/NCEL-2009_a_year_of_success.pdf

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EU REACH - 14 SUBSTANCES ADDED TO LIST OF SUBSTANCES OF VERY HIGH CONCERN

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has added 14 chemical substances to the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for authorisation.  Companies manufacturing or importing these substances into the European Union (EU) need to check their potential obligations that result from the listing.  Exporters to the EU containing these substances have the obligation to inform EU customers and consumers, on request, of the presence of the listed substances in their products.   

To download the Candidate List, please go to:-

http://echa.europa.eu/doc/press/pr_10_01_candidate_list_20100113.pdf

• they will be more user friendly,

• clearer differentiation between those terms covering all transport nodes versus those terms that can only be used for vessel transport,

• there will be less than the current 13 Incoterms 2000,

• use of Incoterms in domestic transactions will be encouraged.

• The CME Group - NYMEX - COMEX
   
• The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange - DGCX 
   
• The London Bullion Market Association - LBMA 
   
• The London Metal Exchange - LME  
   
• The Shanghai Futures Exchange - SHFE 
   
• The Tokyo Commodity Exchange - TOCOM