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U.S. Futures and Commodity Exchanges

CME, COMEX, NYMEX, Merc, New York Cotton Exchange, and related U.S. futures venue terms.

U.S. futures and commodity exchange terms identify the venue and rulebook behind a futures contract. The venue matters because each designated contract market controls product listings, trading rules, delivery procedures, block-trade rules, price limits, market surveillance, and disciplinary authority.

CME Group says its four designated contract markets are CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX. The CFTC also maintains a public list of designated contract markets. Use these sources to distinguish a current regulated venue from a historical exchange name or informal nickname.

This section covers Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), COMEX, NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange, MERC, and the historical New York Cotton Exchange.

Before treating a venue term as evidence, check the contract’s active exchange, clearing path, delivery location, trading hours, margin schedule, and whether the name is current, legacy, or informal.

In this section

Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.

CME

Designated contract market within CME Group for futures and options on major financial and commodity benchmarks.

COMEX

CME Group designated contract market best known for metals futures and options, including precious, base, and ferrous metals.

MERC

Informal market shorthand that usually refers to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the broader CME futures marketplace.

New York Cotton Exchange

Historical cotton futures exchange name now mainly relevant to ICE Futures U.S. cotton-market history and contract lineage.

New York Mercantile Exchange

Full-name reference for NYMEX, the CME Group designated contract market associated with energy and commodity futures.

NYMEX

New York Mercantile Exchange, a CME Group designated contract market associated with energy and commodity futures.

Revised on Sunday, June 21, 2026