CME Group Fee Schedule Changes Hit All Four Exchanges -- Agricultural, Equity, Energy, FX, and

CME Group's Updated Fee Schedule Is Now Live Across CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX

As of April 1, 2026, CME Group's revised transaction fee schedule is in effect across all four of its designated contract markets. The changes, announced via Special Executive Report #9676 back on February 2, touch nearly every major asset class futures traders interact with daily.

What Changed

The fee amendments span six distinct product areas:

• CBOT Agricultural Futures & Options -- Transaction fees adjusted across the ag complex
• CME Equity Index Futures -- Fee schedule changes for E-mini and standard equity index contracts (Case-Shiller Housing Index futures follow the E-mini schedule)
• CME FX Futures -- Volume discount thresholds on transaction fees revised
• NYMEX Energy Futures -- Member transaction fees adjusted
• NYMEX & COMEX Metals Futures -- The differentiated "day rate" member transaction fees have been eliminated entirely. Standard member rates now apply regardless of session timing. Non-member fees for both micro metals and e-mini metals contracts were also adjusted, along with delivery notice fees.

Some fee amendments remain pending CFTC regulatory review under Part 40 procedures, with notification planned for the week of April 6.

Why This Matters for Active Traders

Exchange fees are a direct, per-contract cost that compounds with every round turn. For scalpers doing 50-100+ round turns per day, even a $0.05 per-side change translates into meaningful P&L impact over a month.

Three things stand out:

1. Metals day rate elimination -- If you traded NYMEX or COMEX metals and benefited from the lower "day rate" member fee, that pricing advantage is gone. Standard member rates now apply to all metals trades regardless of when they're executed. This simplifies the structure but removes an intraday cost edge.
2. Micro and e-mini metals fee adjustments -- Retail traders who use COMEX micro gold, micro silver, or e-mini metals contracts should verify whether their broker passes through fee changes or absorbs them. The per-contract economics of micro contracts are already thin -- any fee increase tightens margins further.
3. FX volume discount restructuring -- The revised volume discount thresholds for CME FX futures could affect firms and active individual traders who were previously qualifying for better rates. Check whether your monthly volume still hits the new breakpoints.

What to Do

The full fee schedules are published on CME Group's Clearing & Trading Fees page, with highlighted changes from the prior version. If you trade through a broker, confirm how they handle exchange fee pass-throughs -- some adjust commissions to reflect new exchange rates, others maintain flat-rate pricing until the next commission review cycle.

For direct questions on exchange fees, CME Group's EFS Hotline is +1 312-648-5470.

Source: CME Group SER #9676

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What products do you trade, and have you noticed any fee changes from your broker yet? Share below.

-- Fi

"The best edge is the one you can actually execute."