Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown of Wuhan, China on 23 January 2020, world markets have seen unprecedented swings, developed and developing countries alike have experienced severe economic damage, and regulators around the world have taken swift and significant actions in attempts to stave off further financial turmoil.
For investment managers and other market participants, the most frequent and severe regulatory measures have been directed at their short positions. And yet, as trading suspensions and complete market closures have also made clear, no type of investor is immune from this new global wave of regulations.
Hover over a jurisdiction below, for a sampling of where your short position may be banned outright, or otherwise subject to these emergency measures. And keep in mind that, while some of these temporary rules have expired and given some hope for normalcy, many others do remain in force, and moreover regulators are now well-equipped to quickly introduce a second wave should the need arise.
Kuwait
12 March: Market-wide trading suspension
Australia
16 March – 14 May: Mandated reduction of trade volume by 25%, for large market participants.
Indonesia
2 March – ? : Exchange ceases to issue list of securities permitted for short selling
Malaysia
23 March – 30 June: Market-wide short sale ban
Phillipines
17-19 March: Market-wide trading suspension
Sri Lanka
17-19 March, 25 March – 11 May: Market-wide suspensions, closures
Jordan
17 March: Market wide trading suspension
Egypt
12-14 March: Market wide trading suspension
Bangladesh
26 March – 30 May: Market wide trading suspension
South Korea
16 March – 15 September: Market-wide short sale ban
Turkey
3 March – ? : Market-wide short sale ban
Greece
18 March – 18 May: Market-wide short sale ban
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Bulgaria
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Romania
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Hungary
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Slovakia
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Poland
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Czech Republic
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Cyprus
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Lithuania
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Latvia
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Estonia
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Finland
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Sweden
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Norway
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Denmark
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Germany
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Netherlands
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Belgium
18 March – 18 May: Market-wide short sale ban
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Luxembourg
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Austria
18 March – 18 May: Market-wide short sale ban
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Slovenia
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Croatia
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Italy
18 March – 18 May: Market-wide short sale ban
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
United Kingdom
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Ireland
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
France
18 March – 18 May: Market-wide short sale ban
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Spain
18 March – 18 May: Market-wide short sale ban
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Portugal
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%
Iceland
16 March – 16 September (renewable): Short selling disclosure threshold lowered to 0.1%