The CFTC reported that BSDR LLC ("BSDR"), a subsidiary of Bloomberg LP, voluntarily withdrew from CFTC registration as a swap data repository ("SDR"). The withdrawal is effective March 21, 2019. The CFTC said that, upon BSDR's withdrawal, there will be three SDRs provisionally registered with the CFTC.

FINRA reminded broker-dealers that provide quotations in the securities of a foreign private issuer to make available specified information upon request to any person that expresses an interest in a transaction in the issuer's securities, pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 15c2-11(a)(4). In the Regulatory Notice, FINRA stated that where the foreign private issuer restricts U.S. investors from accessing the issuer's website, broker-dealers must make this information available through other means.

The SEC proposed modifying the offering process for business development companies ("BDCs") and other closed-end investment companies under the Securities Act. The SEC would permit these investment companies to use the securities offering rules that are currently available to operating companies. The proposal would: streamline the registration process to allow eligible funds to use a "shelf registration statement"; permit eligible funds to qualify as "well-known seasoned issuers"; allow eligible funds to meet prospectus delivery requirements by using the same processes as are available to

The SEC adopted amendments to Regulation S-K, and related rules and forms, that are intended to reduce disclosure burdens on registrants. The amendments, among other things: permit registrants to omit confidential information from material contracts and certain other exhibits without submitting a request to the SEC; modify and modernize rules and forms to streamline the SEC's disclosure framework; amend the description of property requirement to stress the "materiality threshold"; and enhance access to information by obligating data tagging for certain items on the cover pages of particular

The U.S. Treasury Department ("Treasury") Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") designated two shipping companies based in China for allegedly helping North Korea evade U.S. sanctions. In a related action, OFAC, the U.S. State Department and U.S. Coast Guard updated their North Korean shipping advisory by adding vessels that have allegedly engaged in "ship-to-ship" transfers with North Korea tankers of North Korean exported coal. The updated advisory also includes new information on North Korea's deceptive shipping practices and provides guidance on how to alleviate the risk of involvement