Glencore Settles US Market Manipulation Charges Paying $1.18 Billion
- The company is now facing two criminal charges in the country.
- It also indicated pleading guilty to bribery charges in the UK.

Glencore, a commodities trading giant, will have to pay more than $1.1 billion in its settlement with the United States’ Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for market 'manipulation and deceptive conduct'.
Announced on Tuesday, three Glencore entities together have to pay a total of $1.186 billion, out of which $865.6 million has been levied as a civil penalty and disgorgement of $320.7 million. Both the penalty and disgorgement amount are the highest in any CFTC case to date.
Serious Misconduct
In parallel, the UK Serious Fraud Office also started to investigate Glencore in 2019 for bribery cases. Additionally, the company indicated that it will plead guilty to seven counts of bribery charges it is facing in the United Kingdom.
“Today’s enforcement action demonstrates that the CFTC
CFTC
The 1974 Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) in the United States created the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The Commission protects and regulates market activities against manipulation, fraud, and abuse trade practices and promotes fairness in futures contracts. The CEA also included the Sad-Johnson Agreement, which defined the authority and responsibilities for the monitoring of financial contracts between the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. These are today the largest regulators and authorities in the United States. The Commission works to guarantee that trading on the U.S. futures exchanges are fair and honest and maintain integrity in the marketplace. There are 11 U.S. Futures Exchanges. The Commission is outside of the political realm and is not controlled by any party. To ensure this at no time can more than three members represent the same political party.The CFTC has recently given the go-ahead to a startup exchange that wants to attract individual traders to the risky world of futures. The Small Exchange, headed by a former executive of T.D. Ameritrade Holding Corp., won approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on in 2020 to become the newest U.S. futures exchange. The current exchanges in the U.S. under the regulatory authority of the CFTC include the following: Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) CME Group International Monetary Market (IMM) Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME / GLOBEX) New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and (COMEX) Kansas City Board of Trade (KCBT) NEX Group plc (NXG.L) Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) 2001 New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) 2005 Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (WCE) 2007 TSX Group's Natural Gas Exchange Partnership 2008 European Climate Exchange 2010 Chicago Climate Exchange (CCE) 2010 NYSE 2013 London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE) Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) Nadex (formerly HedgeStreet) OneChicago (Single-stock futures (SSF's) and Futures on ETFs) Nasdaq Futures Exchange (NFX)
The 1974 Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) in the United States created the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The Commission protects and regulates market activities against manipulation, fraud, and abuse trade practices and promotes fairness in futures contracts. The CEA also included the Sad-Johnson Agreement, which defined the authority and responsibilities for the monitoring of financial contracts between the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. These are today the largest regulators and authorities in the United States. The Commission works to guarantee that trading on the U.S. futures exchanges are fair and honest and maintain integrity in the marketplace. There are 11 U.S. Futures Exchanges. The Commission is outside of the political realm and is not controlled by any party. To ensure this at no time can more than three members represent the same political party.The CFTC has recently given the go-ahead to a startup exchange that wants to attract individual traders to the risky world of futures. The Small Exchange, headed by a former executive of T.D. Ameritrade Holding Corp., won approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on in 2020 to become the newest U.S. futures exchange. The current exchanges in the U.S. under the regulatory authority of the CFTC include the following: Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) CME Group International Monetary Market (IMM) Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME / GLOBEX) New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and (COMEX) Kansas City Board of Trade (KCBT) NEX Group plc (NXG.L) Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) 2001 New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) 2005 Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (WCE) 2007 TSX Group's Natural Gas Exchange Partnership 2008 European Climate Exchange 2010 Chicago Climate Exchange (CCE) 2010 NYSE 2013 London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE) Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) Nadex (formerly HedgeStreet) OneChicago (Single-stock futures (SSF's) and Futures on ETFs) Nasdaq Futures Exchange (NFX)
Read this Term will work with its enforcement partners around the world to ensure that the U.S. markets operate free of manipulation and corruption, and the CFTC will impose substantial and robust sanctions against those market participants who engage in such conduct,” said the Acting Enforcement Director of the CFTC, Gretchen Lowe.
The US commodities regulator detailed that Glencore has been indulging in illegal activities at least since 2007. The company increased its profits through physical and derivatives oil products trading by manipulating the benchmark prices as well as futures and swaps.
Moreover, the regulatory order found that the company was involved in fraud and corrupt payments, including bribery and kickbacks, to employees and agents in several foreign state-owned companies. Some of the countries where Glencore committed such activities are Brazil, Cameroon, Nigeria and Venezuela.
The company personnel conducted an organized operation that involved traders and other personnel throughout its oil trading group. It resulted in the gain of hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit gains.
Glencore, a commodities trading giant, will have to pay more than $1.1 billion in its settlement with the United States’ Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for market 'manipulation and deceptive conduct'.
Announced on Tuesday, three Glencore entities together have to pay a total of $1.186 billion, out of which $865.6 million has been levied as a civil penalty and disgorgement of $320.7 million. Both the penalty and disgorgement amount are the highest in any CFTC case to date.
Serious Misconduct
In parallel, the UK Serious Fraud Office also started to investigate Glencore in 2019 for bribery cases. Additionally, the company indicated that it will plead guilty to seven counts of bribery charges it is facing in the United Kingdom.
“Today’s enforcement action demonstrates that the CFTC
CFTC
The 1974 Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) in the United States created the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The Commission protects and regulates market activities against manipulation, fraud, and abuse trade practices and promotes fairness in futures contracts. The CEA also included the Sad-Johnson Agreement, which defined the authority and responsibilities for the monitoring of financial contracts between the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. These are today the largest regulators and authorities in the United States. The Commission works to guarantee that trading on the U.S. futures exchanges are fair and honest and maintain integrity in the marketplace. There are 11 U.S. Futures Exchanges. The Commission is outside of the political realm and is not controlled by any party. To ensure this at no time can more than three members represent the same political party.The CFTC has recently given the go-ahead to a startup exchange that wants to attract individual traders to the risky world of futures. The Small Exchange, headed by a former executive of T.D. Ameritrade Holding Corp., won approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on in 2020 to become the newest U.S. futures exchange. The current exchanges in the U.S. under the regulatory authority of the CFTC include the following: Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) CME Group International Monetary Market (IMM) Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME / GLOBEX) New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and (COMEX) Kansas City Board of Trade (KCBT) NEX Group plc (NXG.L) Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) 2001 New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) 2005 Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (WCE) 2007 TSX Group's Natural Gas Exchange Partnership 2008 European Climate Exchange 2010 Chicago Climate Exchange (CCE) 2010 NYSE 2013 London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE) Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) Nadex (formerly HedgeStreet) OneChicago (Single-stock futures (SSF's) and Futures on ETFs) Nasdaq Futures Exchange (NFX)
The 1974 Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) in the United States created the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The Commission protects and regulates market activities against manipulation, fraud, and abuse trade practices and promotes fairness in futures contracts. The CEA also included the Sad-Johnson Agreement, which defined the authority and responsibilities for the monitoring of financial contracts between the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. These are today the largest regulators and authorities in the United States. The Commission works to guarantee that trading on the U.S. futures exchanges are fair and honest and maintain integrity in the marketplace. There are 11 U.S. Futures Exchanges. The Commission is outside of the political realm and is not controlled by any party. To ensure this at no time can more than three members represent the same political party.The CFTC has recently given the go-ahead to a startup exchange that wants to attract individual traders to the risky world of futures. The Small Exchange, headed by a former executive of T.D. Ameritrade Holding Corp., won approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on in 2020 to become the newest U.S. futures exchange. The current exchanges in the U.S. under the regulatory authority of the CFTC include the following: Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) CME Group International Monetary Market (IMM) Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME / GLOBEX) New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and (COMEX) Kansas City Board of Trade (KCBT) NEX Group plc (NXG.L) Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) 2001 New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) 2005 Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (WCE) 2007 TSX Group's Natural Gas Exchange Partnership 2008 European Climate Exchange 2010 Chicago Climate Exchange (CCE) 2010 NYSE 2013 London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE) Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) Nadex (formerly HedgeStreet) OneChicago (Single-stock futures (SSF's) and Futures on ETFs) Nasdaq Futures Exchange (NFX)
Read this Term will work with its enforcement partners around the world to ensure that the U.S. markets operate free of manipulation and corruption, and the CFTC will impose substantial and robust sanctions against those market participants who engage in such conduct,” said the Acting Enforcement Director of the CFTC, Gretchen Lowe.
The US commodities regulator detailed that Glencore has been indulging in illegal activities at least since 2007. The company increased its profits through physical and derivatives oil products trading by manipulating the benchmark prices as well as futures and swaps.
Moreover, the regulatory order found that the company was involved in fraud and corrupt payments, including bribery and kickbacks, to employees and agents in several foreign state-owned companies. Some of the countries where Glencore committed such activities are Brazil, Cameroon, Nigeria and Venezuela.
The company personnel conducted an organized operation that involved traders and other personnel throughout its oil trading group. It resulted in the gain of hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit gains.