Calculation of Commodities Positions
CA-5.6.6
Banks must first express each commodity position (i.e. Salam and Parallel Salam) in terms of the standard unit of measurement (i.e. barrels, kilograms, grams, etc). Assets and liabilities positions in a commodity are reported on a net basis for the purpose of calculating the net open position in that commodity. For markets which have daily delivery dates, any contracts maturing within ten days of one another may be offset. The net position in each commodity is then converted, at spot rates, into the bank's reporting currency.
Apr 08CA-5.6.7
Positions in different commodities cannot be offset for the purpose of calculating the open-positions as described above. However, where one or more sub-categories17 of the same category are in effect and are directly deliverable against each other, netting between those sub-categories is permitted. Furthermore, if two or more sub-categories of the same category is considered as close substitutes for each other, and minimum correlation of 0.9 between their price movements is clearly established over a minimum period of one year, the bank may, with the prior written approval of the CBB, net positions in those sub-categories.
17 Commodities can be grouped into clan, families, sub-groups and individual commodities. For example a clan might be Energy Commodities, within which Hydro-Carbons is a family with Crude Oil being a sub-group and West Texas Intermediate, Arabian light and Brent being individual commodities.
Apr 08CA-5.6.8
Banks, which wish to net positions based on correlation (in the manner discussed above), must satisfy the CBB of the accuracy of the method which it proposes to adopt.
Apr 08