Futures on commodities, including lean hogs, frozen pork bellies, live cattle, feeder cattle, cash-settled butter, class III milk, dry whey and fertilizer will be available for trading beginning at 9:05 a.m. Chicago time Mondays through 1:30 p.m. Fridays with a daily 60-minute trading halt commencing at 4:00 p.m. These contracts are all offered currently on CME Globex during day-time trading hours in Chicago.

"This expansion of our electronic offerings of the CME commodities complex will enable our customers around the world to access our markets at times that work best for their schedules and their individual portfolio management strategies," said CME Executive Chairman Terry Duffy. "CME is a global marketplace and we are committed to meeting customers' risk management and trading needs whether they are located in Asia, Europe, Latin America or the United States."

"Last year we traded a record number of commodities contracts and electronic trading of CME Commodities has now reached 10 percent of the total daily commodities volume," said CME Chief Executive Officer Craig Donohue. "Around-the-clock access on CME Globex as well as trading through open outcry will allow CME to further increase liquidity, while offering customers more opportunities for price discovery and commercial hedging activity."

In 2006, open interest of CME Commodities reached 692,653 as global demand and interest in raw materials and foodstuffs has increased.