Washington, 14 October 2010

The U.S. futures regulator should keep its speculative position limits for agricultural commodities and be wary of granting exemptions to investment funds and financial players, a grain handlers' group said.

The comments come as banks and funds lobby the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to be flexible in how the regulator applies new powers to curb speculation in futures and swaps markets granted under a new Wall Street reform law.

The National Grain and Feed Association urged the CFTC to make changes so swaps dealers are not exempt from limits.

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