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Clear Street seeks to sign up with London Metal Exchange's open-outcry trading flooring, source states

U.S. broker Clear Street is seeking regulative approvals in Britain to pursue subscription of the London Metal Exchange's openoutcry trading floor, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

Clear Street's plan, initially reported by Bloomberg news company, would take the number of dealing members on Europe's. last open-outcry venue back to eight after Societe Generale. stated last month it would leave the LME's trading. floor.

Both New York-based Clear Street and the LME, the world's. oldest and biggest market for commercial metals, decreased to. remark.

A British system of the U.S. firm, Clear Street UK Ltd,. was incorporated in July 2023, according to federal government information.

An arm of the broker, Clear Street Futures is headed by. Chris Smith, who was formerly the London-based head of ED&F. Male Capital Markets till it was acquired by Marex in 2022.

Smith established ED&F Man Capital Markets, which was a. ring-dealing member of the LME. He did not respond to a Reuters'. request for discuss Wednesday.

The LME, the 147-year-old exchange owned by Hong Kong. Exchanges and Cleaning, proposed closing its trading. floor three years ago, signing up with other financial exchanges that. have transferred to pure electronic trading, but a protest from. physical LME users saved the ring.

LME now operates on a hybrid basis, with open-outcry trading. for official rates used by physical users as standards for. their contracts and an electronic system for closing costs.

After Societe Generale's choice to leave the ring, almost. all of the 7 staying companies taking part on the flooring told. Reuters they remained committed to the age-old practice.

(source: Reuters)