Russia’s main exchange, the Moscow Exchange, said it’s halting trading in US dollars and the euro due to new U.S. sanctions

From June 13, the Moscow Exchange will not carry out trading on foreign currency, precious metals, stock, money and futures markets in instruments with settlement in dollars and euros.  The company, known as MOEX, was targeted along with the country’s main settlement depository, by US restrictions announced on June 12.

RBC says the U.S. Department of the Treasury included the Moscow Exchange, the National Clearing Center (NCC), and the National Settlement Depository (NSD) in its sanctions SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) list on June 12.

Being placed on this list means the company is isolated from the global dollar system.  The exchange was immediately forced to suspend dollar trading.

“Due to the introduction of restrictive measures by the United States against the Moscow Exchange Group, exchange trading and settlements of deliverable instruments in U.S. dollars and euros are suspended,” the Central Bank of the Russian Federation said.

It added that it would use over-the-counter trading data to set official exchange rates for the dollar and euro.

The Moscow Exchange is the largest exchange in Russia, operating trading markets in equities, bonds, derivatives, the foreign exchange market, money markets, and precious metals.  The Moscow Exchange also operates Russia's central securities depository, the National Settlement Depository (NSD), and the country's largest clearing service provider, the National Clearing Centre.  The exchange was formed in 2011 in a merger of the Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange and the Russian Trading System.