Trading hours are between 8 am and 10 pm CET.

To support the product launch, Eurex is waiving trading and clearing fees until the end of June 2009.

From day one, market makers have agreed to ensure a liquid order book.

Further, the US regulatory agency, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, has approved trading in the new gold contract for the US market effective immediately giving US based customers the opportunity to trade the new gold offering.

With its new contract, Eurex aims to offer access to the gold market for clients that prefer or require a cash settled contract.

Only a small percentage of forward gold transactions actually result in physical delivery, therefore Eurex's cash settled contracts can accommodate both physical and financial market participant's requirements.

Eurex says the exchange also adds value to the OTC gold market through its clearing facilities which allow bi-lateral negotiation of trades combined with straight-through processing on a single platform and central clearing, thereby mitigating counterparty risk.

To attract OTC flow, the new products will have a block trade size of one contract and can be cleared via the Eurex Clearing OTC facility.