Comment Text:
At this time of fragile economic recovery, we cannot allow speculators to unduly affect our food and energy prices.
I strongly endorse the Commission’s efforts to implement the Dodd-Frank Act as thoroughly as possible. Reforms aimed at limiting excessive speculation in food and energy commodities are essential.
While many factors contribute, it is clear that excessive speculation plays a significant role in today’s highly volatile commodity prices. This is substantiated by dozens of studies by members of respected institutions such as Princeton, MIT, Citigroup, Petersen Institute, University of London, Yale, UNCTAD, FAO, and the U.S. Senate.
I urge the Commission to implement the proposed rules regarding aggregate speculative position limits to prevent excessive speculation.
Congress called for exemptions from these limits for bona fide hedgers. I ask that the Commission define the term "hedgers" in the strictest sense possible, limiting exemptions to businesses that deal in physical commodities and use markets to hedge commercial risk in those commodities.
Banks, hedge funds, private equity and all passive investors in commodities should not be deemed as bona fide hedgers. Institutions hedging price directional bets such as commodity index swaps, Exchange Traded Funds and Exchange Traded Notes also should not be considered as bona fide hedgers.
Thank you for your consideration.
