Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, and except for applications for orders granting exemptions submitted pursuant to section 4(c) of the Commodity Exchange Act and any written responses thereto, each written response by the Commission or its staff to a letter or other written communication requesting:

Interpretative legal advice with respect to the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation or order issued or adopted by the Commission thereunder;

A statement that, on the basis of the facts stated in such letter or other communication, the staff would not recommend that the Commission take any enforcement action; or

An exemption, on the basis of the facts stated in such letter or other communication, from the provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act or any rules, or regulations or orders issued or adopted by the Commission thereunder; shall be made available, together with the letter or other written communication making the request, for inspection and copying by any person as soon as practicable after the response has been sent or given to the person requesting it.

Any person submitting a letter or other written communication making such a request may also submit therewith a request that the letter or other written communication, as well as any Commission or staff response thereto, be accorded confidential treatment for a specified period of time, not exceeding 120 days from the date of the response thereto, together with a statement setting forth the considerations upon which the request for such treatment is based. If the staff determines that the request is reasonable and appropriate it will be granted and the letter or other written communication as well as the response thereto will not be made available for public inspection or copying until the expiration of the specified period. If it appears to the staff that the request for confidential treatment should be denied, the staff shall so advise the person making the request and such person may withdraw the letter or other written communication within 30 days thereafter. In such case, no response will be sent or given and the letter or other written communication shall remain in the Commission's files but will not be made public pursuant to this section. If such letter or other written communication is not so withdrawn, it shall be deemed to be available for public inspection and copying together with any written response thereto.

Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, no portion of a letter or other written communication received by the Commission or its staff of the type described in paragraph (a) of this section, or any written response thereto, shall be made available for inspection and copying or otherwise published which would separately disclose the business transactions or market positions of any person and trade secrets or names of customers, except in accordance with the provisions of section 8 of the Commodity Exchange Act.