The foreign exchange market in Asia is regulated by different authorities. But there is no single market regulator like ESMA in Europe. Instead, each Asian country has its own supervisory body. The most notable authorities are found in Japan (the Financial Services Agency, FSA), in Singapore (the Monetary Authority of Singapore, MAS), in Dubai (Dubai Financial Services Authority), India (the Securities and Exchange Board of India), and a few more. However, a significant part of the region is still unregulated necessitating Asian Forex traders to look for internationally regulated brokers.
The most dominant Asian currency appearing in the tradable Forex major currency pairs is the Japanese Yen (JPY). JPY is an actively traded Forex asset found in the top 7 major currency pairs together with USD, EUR, GBP, and CHF. Therefore, it is the most popular financial instrument for Asian Forex traders. However, few other Asian currencies also appear on the list of the tradable exotic currencies including Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), Singapore Dollar (SGD), Thai Baht (THB), and several more.
There are some countries in Asia where Forex trading is either not taxed at all or is subject to very low tax. In the United Arab Emirates, Forex traders are exempt from paying taxes. Similarly, in Hong Kong, there is no Capital Gains Tax to charge the Forex traders on their incomes. Some countries, like Singapore, have very low proprietary Forex CGT rates that could reach a maximum of 22% of net earnings.
Asian Forex traders have a diverse list of payment methods when it comes to depositing and withdrawing the funds with the broker. All popular payment solutions are supported with the best Forex brokers in Asia including the traditional methods like Visa/Mastercard payments, as well as online e-wallets and payment systems like Skrill, Neteller, and PayPal. There are no deposit and withdrawal charges imposed by the brokers on transactions.
Most of the Asian brokerage companies operating on the Forex market are relatively new. Since the experience is one of the crucial aspects for the brokers, most of the leading brokerage firms are in fact, international companies. They have headquarters in almost every region around the world and serve millions of active clients every month. Many of these brokers are approved by leading Asian authorities like the DFSA and Israel Securities Authority (ISA). Below is the list of the most popular and valued brokerage companies, including the top 10 Forex brokers in Asia.
5$
CySEC, FCA, ASIC
30$, 50%+20%
1:1000
2009
MT4, MT5, WebTrader
$100
CySEC, CBI, FSA, FFAJ, BVI FSC, FSCA, FSRA
1:400
2006
MT4, MT5, WebTrader, AvaTradeGO
USD 5,000
FINMA, FCA, ASIC, FSA, MAS, AFM
N/A
1:30
1992
SaxoTraderGo, SaxoTraderPro
$5
SVGFSA, FCA, DFSA, FSCA, FSA
From 30% to 100%
1:1000
2010
MT4, MT5
15
CySEC
30%
1:500
2015
MT4, WebTrader
$250
FSCA
1:200
2012
MT4, WebTrader
100$
FCA
N/A
30:1
2008
Custom
$10
Risk Warning: YOUR CAPITAL MIGHT BE AT RISK
N/A
1:1000
2013
Proprietary
10 USD
FCA, CySEC, FSA
N/A
1:Unlimited
2008
MT4, MT5, WebTerminal
$10
N/A
N/A
1:500
2019
MT4, custom
$10
1:500
MT4
250$
FCA, NFA
N/A
200:1
1999
MT4
$25
ASIC, CySEC, FSA, BVI
50%
1:400
2001
WebTrader, MT4, TradingView
100
FCA, CySEC, DIFC, CIMA
N/A
500:1
1977
MT4, MT5
$100 AUD
ASIC
N/A
500:1
2005
WebTrader, MT4, MT5, IRESS
AUD$200
ASIC, SCB, CMA, CySEC, FCA, BaFin and DFSA
N/A
1:400
2010
MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView
250 EUR
FSA (Seychelles)
None
1:200
2023
FXRoad web & mobile platforms
$50
N/A
N/A
1:500
2015
MT4
1 USD
ASIC, FCA
10 USD
1:500
2005
MT4, MT5, WebTrader
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Several major authorities in the region are famous across the globe as the most recognized official organs of the Forex market:
A single regulatory body can’t monitor the market for the whole Asian continent. Therefore, each region and countries on the continent have their own official authorities. However, some of the official regulators provide a bit complex procedures and vague recommendations or laws which urge international brokers to avoid obtaining a license from the Asian regulatory authorities. That is why only a few Asian brokers will actually have authorization from the Asian-based regulatory bodies.
SFC – Hong KongHong Kong began regulating its financial sectors after 1974. The history of the regulations includes many different institutions, however, the last one and the most significant remaining is the Securities and Futures Commission. It is not a governmental body and is responsible for monitoring the securities and futures markets of the region. The main revenue of the organization comes from the fees associated with issuing the licenses, as well as the transaction levies. The SFC is the main provider of the market regulations and it is also running regular investigations on any breaches or misconducts.
SEBI – IndiaThe Securities and Exchange Board of India has experience of over two decades. The organization was established in 1992 and actively participates in the financial market processes of the country. The institution has a clear structure with major functions of regulating the operations of securities custodians, market participants, foreign portfolio investors, as well as agencies that are busy with the credit rating. Furthermore, special committees work to find and punish any fraudulent behavior, unfair trade practices, or money-laundering crimes within the securities market. It is one of the key figures in the Forex trading Asia industry.
FSA – JapanIn contrast to many regulatory bodies, the Financial Services Agency is a governmental body. It is an official regulator of the financial sectors in Japan and oversees the banking, securities, and exchange sectors. It is directly reporting to the Minister of State for Financial Services of Japan. The FSA operates since 2000 as a result of the merger between the Financial Supervisory Agency and the Financial System Planning Bureau. The latest update on the laws and regulations existing in the country came on December 14, 2020. However, numerous changes are being prepared for the upcoming period in the securities industry.
MAS – SingaporeThe Monetary Authority of Singapore has been in fact a central bank of the country which was formed back in 1970. After a year, it adopted the functions of the financial regulatory authority. The institution has various functions varying from currency issuance to regulating the securities and the financial sector, in general. The regulatory body conducts regular surveillance of the financial stability within the country, while at the same time also managing the assets and foreign reserves in Singapore.
Trade with FSA-regulated broker AvaTrade
Best tax systems for Forex traders are found in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In Dubai, there is no Capital Gains Tax imposed on Forex earnings, as the government has freed the industry from taxation recently in order to encourage the growth of the financial services in the region. Hong Kong also does not have a CGT, which means that Forex traders can freely claim their profits and earnings from trading Forex. However, if a trader cooperates with a locally based or regulated brokerage company then he or she might be liable to pay income taxes. Similarly, there is no Capital Gains Tax in Singapore, as well. That is why the local community engages in Forex trading so actively.
Some of the countries where Forex trading is active but taxed are Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Thailand. In fact, Thailand and Pakistan charge the lowest CGT, with Pakistan’s rate ranging between 5-20% depending on the size of the income and for Thai Forex traders CGT is fixed to 15%. Japan, China, and Saudi Arabia all have 20% Capital Gains Tax applicable to Forex earnings.
The biggest regional Forex tradable currency in Asia is the Japanese Yen (JPY). It appears on the 7 major currency pairs of the Forex industry and represents one of the most popular trading assets worldwide. JPY is often paired with USD and GBP but from time to time can be found with several exotic currencies. USD/JPY can be traded with spreads as low as 0.015 with the average spread between 0.016-0.018. The Asian exotic currencies are also frequently present on the trading platforms of the leading brokerage companies in Asia. For instance, it is not rare to find Hong Kong dollar or Singapore dollar among the tradable Forex assets.
The most popular pairings with the Japanese Yen (JPY) include:
Trade JPY currency pairs with XM
Most of the countries in Asia where market regulators are present will have restrictions on the usage of leverage. All three dominant Forex trading regions of Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong have introduced caps on leverage that restrict the flexibility of the leverage offered by the brokers. For instance, Singapore had a 50:1 restriction before 2019 for retail traders. However, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has made the policy much stricter lowering the leverage limit down to 20:1. In Japan, the cap on leverage is set at 25:1. Few years ago the main regulator of the country was considering making the restriction even stricter and limiting leverage up to 10:1. However, as of now the leverage cap remains at 25:1 in Japan. In Hong Kong, you can trade leveraged Forex assets with a maximum leverage allowance of 40:1.
There are some ways to escape the limit on leverage. But in order to do so, you should become an authorized or certified investor, which is not an easy thing to do. Furthermore, it would much resemble self-employment meaning that you would be liable to pay income taxes even in the tax-free economies in terms of Forex trading.
Most popular payment methods in Asia include Visa/Mastercard debit and credit card payments, bank wire transfers, broker-to-broker transactions, e-payment systems like Skrill, PayPal, Neteller, and in some countries M-Pesa, as well. The best brokers in Asia will definitely support almost every payment solution mentioned previously. Furthermore, none of them will incorporate fees on deposits and withdrawals completed through any of these methods. However, the payment charges might be added by the payment solutions providers themselves. For instance, Visa/Mastercard might charge 1-2% and a fixed fee on instant withdrawals. If you are down to waiting for few working days then you can complete a transaction without any charge.
One of the toughest and also the most important tasks that Forex traders have in Asia is to find a suitable and decent Forex broker. Not to mention the threat of losing all your financial resources, the wrong choice of broker might take away all your chances of ever making the profit in Forex trading. The reason is that the some brokers will most likely offer very expensive trading conditions, inconvenient spreads that are way above the market average, either sky-high leverage or unreasonable commission rates, and incompatible trading platforms. That is why you should seek the best brokers in Asia. Avoid brokers that have ‘too good to be true’ bonus offerings promising to triple your deposits with instant withdrawal options. In fact, some of the decent Forex brokers might not be able to offer bonuses at all due to market regulators often restricting such campaigns. Always check the regulation and licenses of the broker beforehand to avoid getting scammed.
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