Column Name Definition

Exchange The exchange listing the referenced contract.

Exchange Code The contract code sent by the exchange to CFTC.

Exchange Public Code The public contract code used by the exchange. This is sometimes referred to as the open 

outcry code.

Official Contract Name The official name of the contract found on contract specifications at the exchange’s website. 

Part 20 Underlying 

Commodity

The underlying commodity used in Part 20 for the core referenced futures contract.

Core Referenced Futures 

Contract

The applicable core referenced futures contract.

Inclusion Status Proposed determination as to which referenced contracts are included for proposed 

Position Limit purposes. Any codes associated with non-included contracts are preliminary, 

if an early determination was made that the contract was not to be included.

Future or Option An indicator whether the commodity code pertains to a future (F) or an option (O) or both 

(F/O).

Link Provides a link to the contract specifications on the exchange's website. 

Physical or Cash Indicates whether the contract is a physical-delivery (P) or cash-settled (C) contract.

First Nearby or Same 

Contract Month

Indicates if the contract applies only to the first nearby contract month. The first nearby is in 

relation to the nominal listed month of the referenced contract. 

Month (If Named Month) If the contract establishes positions in a particular calendar month or months, this variable 

indicates which calendar month(s).

Spread (Y/N) Indicates whether or not the referenced contract is a spread (inter-commodity or calendar). 

Yes indicates that it is some type of spread contract.

Calendar Spread (Y/N) Indicates whether the contract is a calendar spread contract or not. Calendar spread 

contracts establish positions in different calendar months of the same contact.

Calendar Spread Front Leg 

Month

Indicates the month of the front leg for the calendar spread and is represented as the 

distance of the nominal month of the referenced contract to the core referenced futures 

contract. If the front leg for the contract is the about to expire contract, then the front leg 

indicator takes on a value of 0. 

Calendar Spread (Number 

of Months from Front Leg)

Indicates the number of contract months the back leg of a calendar spread is from the 

Calendar Spread Front Leg Indicator. For example, if the calendar spread involves the about 

to expire and next out contract, the calendar spread factor takes on a value of 1.

Intercommodity Spread Indicates whether the referenced contract involves two or more underlying commodities.

Two Component 

Intercommodity Spread

Indicates whether the referenced contract involves exactly two different commodities. 

Relationship Factor 1 (if 

multiple legs, first leg)

Indicates whether buying that contract corresponds to a long position in the core 

referenced futures contact. For spread contracts, indicates the relationship factor for the 

first underlying.

Relationship Factor 2 (if 

multiple legs, second leg)

Indicates whether buying that contract corresponds to a long position in the core 

referenced futures contact. For spread contracts, indicates the relationship factor for the 

second underlying.

Size Factor (relative to 

core)

Indicates the size of the referenced contract relative to the core referenced futures 

contract.

First Month Indicates how many months the first futures-equivalent (FE) position is from the nominal 

month of the referenced contract. For example, a value of 0 represents that the first FE 

position is nominally the same month as the referenced contract listing; whereas, a value of 

1 represents that the first FE position is one month advanced from the referenced contract 

listing. 

Total Months Provides a count of the total number of different months in which futures-equivalent 

positions in the core referenced futures contract are produced by a position in the 

referenced contract. For example, this value would be 12 for a twelve-month calendar strip. 

This is used not used for averaging contracts since, with average pricing, the total number of 

FE positions in different months may depend on the circumstance. This is also not used for 

calendar spreads since calendar spreads always result in two different months.

Averaging Contract (Y/N) Indicates that the contract is an averaging contract.