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Vitol to pay $500,000 to settle CFTC charges over position limits

Global oil trader Vitol SA has actually agreed to pay $500,000 to settle civil charges from the U.S. Product Futures Trading Commission the company broke position limits for particular exchangetraded oil and livestock agreements, the regulator stated on Wednesday.

Traders face limits to the scale of the speculative positions they can hold for certain commodities contracts. Vitol's Houston affiliate and the Geneva-based firm violated those limits a handful of times throughout 2022, the CFTC stated.

The settlement marks the first time the CFTC has brought an action imposing position limitations held across several exchanges, the firm stated in a declaration.

A representative for Vitol, which did not admit or deny the CFTC's findings, did not react immediately to ask for remark.

On four occasions in May and June 2022, Vitol held positions over the federal speculative limitation in NYMEX and ICE Futures Energy Department futures and options agreements for crude oil, CFTC stated in its order.

In December 2022, Vitol held positions over the limit for CME Live Cattle Futures, the order said.

(source: Reuters)