Multinational firms need to buy and sell various commodities that are traded on various exchanges around the world. These commodities in- clude metals (gold, silver, platinum, copper, zinc, lead, etc.), meats (pork bellies, turkeys, cattle, etc.), grains (wheat, barley, oats, corn, etc.), unique items (eggs, soybeans, plywood and cotton), and financial instru- ments (bonds and notes, commercial paper, treasury bills, GNMA mort- gages). Futures contracts are used by multinational firms to trade in these commodities. By definition, a futures contract is an exchange-traded con- tract between a futures exchange clearinghouse and a buyer and a seller for the future delivery of a standardized quantity of an item at a specified future date and at a specified price.