/PRNewswire/ -- The first phase of CME Group's strategic partnership with MexDer went live April 4, 2011 and gave Mexican investors access to CME Group's benchmark derivatives contracts including interest rates, foreign currencies, equity indexes, energy, metals and agricultural commodities.

"Mexico is the 13th largest economy in the world and we continue to look for opportunities to provide our customers around the world with the broadest and most diverse range of globally-relevant products to help them manage their risk," said Phupinder Gill, CME Group President. "This next phase of the partnership demonstrates how we continue to build on our successful track record of growing our business internationally through strategic partnerships."

"With the successful launch of South-to-North order routing in April, the second phase of the direct order routing connection now makes it possible for both of our customers to leverage access to both MexDer and CME Group, and take advantage of a modern market with a friendly regulatory framework in Mexico and a growing sophisticated local investor base," said Luis Tellez, Chairman and CEO of BMV Group. "Our goal moving forward is to focus on increasing our volumes together and working more closely with each other to learn how we can meet the needs of our customers."

In March 2010, the parent company of MexDer, BMV Group, and CME Group entered into a strategic partnership that includes order routing for derivatives products as well as an agreement to pursue potential joint initiatives including product development, marketing and customer education as well as clearing opportunities. CME Group is the exclusive exchange provider of derivatives order routing services to MexDer outside Latin America, and MexDer is the exclusive exchange provider of derivatives order routing services to CME Group in Mexico.