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CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS  
CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS

NOTE 5 — CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS

Marketing Agent Agreement

USCF and the Trust, each on its own behalf and on behalf of each Trust Series, are party to a marketing agent agreement, dated as of July 22, 2010, as amended from time to time, with the Marketing Agent, whereby the Marketing Agent provides certain marketing services for each Trust Series as outlined in the agreement. The fee of the Marketing Agent, which is borne by USCF, is equal to 0.06% on each Trust Series’ assets up to $3 billion and 0.04% on each Trust Series’ assets in excess of $3 billion. In no event may the aggregate compensation paid to the Marketing Agent and any affiliate of USCF for distribution-related services exceed 10% of the gross proceeds of each Trust Series’ offering.

The above fee does not include website construction and development costs, which are also borne by USCF.

Custody, Transfer Agency and Fund Administration and Accounting Services Agreements

USCF engaged The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York corporation authorized to do a banking business (“BNY Mellon”), to provide the Trust Series and each of the Related Public Funds with certain custodial, administrative and accounting, and transfer agency services, pursuant to the following agreements with BNY Mellon dated as of March 20, 2020 (together, the “BNY Mellon Agreements”), which were effective as of April 1, 2020: (i) a Custody Agreement; (ii) a Fund Administration and Accounting Agreement; and (iii) a Transfer Agency and Service Agreement. USCF pays the fees of BNY Mellon for its services under the BNY Mellon Agreements and such fees are determined by the parties from time to time.

Brown Brothers Harriman and Co. (“BBH&Co.”) previously served as the Administrator, Custodian, Transfer Agent and Fund Accounting Agent for USO and the Related Public Funds prior to BNY Mellon commencing such services on April 1, 2020. Certain fund accounting and fund administration services rendered by BBH&Co. to the Trust Series and the Related Public Funds terminated on May 31, 2020 to allow for the transition to BNY Mellon.

Brokerage and Futures Commission Merchant Agreements

The Trust, on behalf of each of USCI and CPER, entered into a Futures and Cleared Derivatives Transactions Customer Account Agreement with RBC Capital Markets LLC (“RBC”), in June of 2018. The Trust, on behalf of each of USCI and CPER, entered into a Commodity Futures Customer Agreement with Marex North America, LLC (“MNA”), in August of 2021. RBC and MNA are each referred to as a “Futures Commissions Merchant” or “FCM.” The agreements with the FCMs for each Trust Series require the FCMs to provide services to the applicable Trust Series in connection with the purchase and sale of Futures Contracts and Other Related Investments that may be purchased and sold by or through the applicable FCM for the applicable Trust Series’ account. In accordance with each agreement, the FCM charges the applicable Trust Series commissions of approximately $7 to $8 per round-turn trade, including applicable exchange, clearing and NFA fees for Futures Contracts and options on Futures Contracts. Such fees include those incurred when purchasing Futures Contracts and options on Futures Contracts when each Trust Series issues shares as a result of a Creation Basket, as well as fees incurred when selling Futures Contracts and options on Futures Contracts when each Trust Series redeems shares as a result of a Redemption Basket. Such fees are also incurred when Futures Contracts and options on Futures Contracts are purchased or redeemed for the purpose of rebalancing the portfolio. Each Trust Series also incurs commissions to brokers for the purchase and sale of Futures Contracts, Other Commodity-Related Investments or short-term obligations of the United States of two years or less (“Treasuries”).

USCI

Nine months ended

Nine months ended

    

    

September 30, 2021

    

September 30, 2020

Total commissions accrued to brokers

$

111,271

$

107,561

Total commissions as annualized percentage of average total net assets

 

0.08

%

 

0.10

%  

Commissions accrued as a result of rebalancing

$

102,934

$

100,415

Percentage of commissions accrued as a result of rebalancing

 

92.51

%

 

93.36

%  

Commissions accrued as a result of creation and redemption activity

$

8,337

$

7,146

Percentage of commissions accrued as a result of creation and redemption activity

 

7.49

%

 

6.64

%  

The increase in total commissions accrued to brokers for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, compared to the nine months ended 2020, was due primarily to a higher number of contracts held and traded.

CPER

Nine months ended

Nine months ended

    

    

September 30, 2021

    

September 30, 2020

Total commissions accrued to brokers

$

49,032

$

4,240

Total commissions as annualized percentage of average total net assets

 

0.03

%

 

0.04

%  

Commissions accrued as a result of rebalancing

$

34,287

$

2,814

Percentage of commissions accrued as a result of rebalancing

 

69.93

%

 

66.37

%  

Commissions accrued as a result of creation and redemption activity

$

14,745

$

1,426

Percentage of commissions accrued as a result of creation and redemption activity

 

30.07

%

33.63

%  

The increase in total commissions accrued to brokers for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2020, was due primarily to a higher number of contracts held and traded.

SummerHaven Agreements

USCF is party to an Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2018, as amended from time to time, with SummerHaven, whereby SummerHaven provides advisory services to USCF with respect to the Applicable Index for each Trust Series and investment decisions for each Trust Series. SummerHaven’s advisory services include, but are not limited to, general consultation regarding the calculation and maintenance of the Applicable Index for each Trust Series, anticipated changes to each Applicable Index and the nature of each Applicable Index’s current or anticipated component securities. For these services, USCF pays SummerHaven a fee based on a percentage of the average total net assets of each Trust Series. USCF pays SummerHaven an annual fee of $15,000 per each Trust Series as well as an annual fee of 0.06% of the average daily total net assets of each Trust Series.

USCF is also party to an Amended and Restated Licensing Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2018, as amended by that certain Amendment to Amended and Restated Licensing Agreement dated as of September 15, 2020, and as further amended from time to time, with SummerHaven and SHIM, pursuant to which SHIM grants a license to USCF for the use of certain names and marks, including the Applicable Index for each Trust Series in exchange for a fee to be paid by USCF to SHIM. USCF pays licensing fees to SummerHaven equal to an annual fee of $15,000 per Trust Series, plus an annual fee of 0.06% of the average daily total net assets of each Trust Series. As a result of the amendment and restatement of the Licensing Agreement and Advisory Agreement in May of 2018, the fees required to be paid by USCF to SummerHaven and SHIM in the aggregate have not changed from the aggregate fees paid by USCF under the two agreements prior to the amendment and restatement.