Investments

SEC Chairman Christopher Cox, the Australian Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) chairman entered into a mutual recognition arrangement among the SEC, the Australian government and ASIC.

Through the arrangement, the SEC and the Australian authorities agreed to consider providing exemptions to exchanges and securities brokers in one another’s countries. Once implemented, these exemptions could permit U.S. stock exchanges and broker-dealers regulated by the SEC, subject to conditions imposed by the Australian authorities, to offer their services to Australian wholesale investors and financial firms without being subject to most ASIC regulation. Likewise, eligible Australian stock exchanges and broker-dealers regulated by ASIC, subject to conditions imposed by the SEC, could offer their services to certain types of U.S. investors and firms without being subject to most SEC regulation.

The SEC and Australian authorities will begin considering regulatory exemptions under the arrangement as they are submitted to the two agencies. It is expected that the process of considering the initial applications for exemptions could be concluded in early 2009, according to an SEC news release. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/5uqr8h.