April 18 (Reuters) - Asian countries are in the process of bringing in new regulation for their derivative markets in order to meet their G20 commitments
Regulators worldwide are trying to boost the volume of derivatives that are centrally cleared and traded on exchanges because a lack transparency in these markets was seen as a major contributor to the global financial crisis.
While Asia's OTC markets are small relative to those in the United States and Europe, figures from the Bank of International Settlements show trading volume in the region -- excluding Japan -- has risen by around 150 per cent since 2004 so that average daily turnover now stands at $515 billion.
The following are facts about reforms to derivative trading in each of the major financial centres in Asia.
For a related story, click on [ID:L3E7FB1LP]
HONG KONG
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd said it will establish a clearing house for OTC trading by the end of 2012 while the Hong Kong Monetary Authority will set up a central trade depository to record data on OTC trades.
The first products required to be centrally cleared by Hong Kong's regulators will be interest rate swaps and non-deliverable forwards. [ID:nTOE6B907I]
SINGAPORE
Singapore has led the way. The Singapore Exchange started a clearing service for Singapore dollar-denominated interest rate swaps in November, the first such platform for financial OTC derivatives in Asia. [ID:nSGE6AE0UB]
It is expected that they will begin offering services for foreign exchange swaps in July or August of this year.
However, the authorities in Singapore have not put in place any requirements to make the clearing of specific products mandatory.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea's Financial Services Commission has set up a task force with the aim of establishing an OTC derivatives clearing house by the end of 2012.
Industry experts expect the country to go down the "national champion" route of establishing a domestically run house - as opposed to using one of the international operators.
They expect clearing requirements to focus initially on the domestic Korean won swaps market.
CHINA
China launched its first interbank clearing house -- The Shanghai Clearing House -- in November 2009.
Authorities say the aim is to provide clearing on inter-bank foreign exchange and currency swap derivatives.
JAPAN
Japan passed a bill in May 2010 making it mandatory to clear all OTC derivative trades in which the transaction value in Japan is "significant". It also specified that plain vanilla yen interest rate swaps and iTraxx Japan credit default swaps must be centrally cleared. [ID:nTOE64B07O]
The bill, which is due to be implemented by the end of 2012, said the mandatory clearing services can be provided by an international operator or an approved domestic clearer.
INDIA
India's OTC market is fairly tightly regulated already. The Clearing Corporation of India (CCIL) offers trade settlement services on OTC trades in foreign exchange derivatives and most interest rate swaps.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said it will move to set clearing requirements for these trades but has expressed concern about too much risk being concentrated in a single clearing house.
The RBI has also said credit default swaps, which are due to be introduced next year, will also eventually be subject to central clearing requirements. (Reporting by Rachel Armstrong)