What is the exact definition of “red news” and what is restricted?

TL;DR

“High-impact news” = any event classified as high impact on either of the following calendars:

• PropXP Economic Calendar: events marked with 3 bars
• Forex Factory Economic Calendar: events marked with a red folder

If an event is classified as high impact on either calendar—or on both calendars—the news trading restriction applies.

If your account is not permitted to trade during high-impact news, you must respect the 5-minute before / 5-minute after blackout period. Pending orders and SL/TP triggers also count as trading activity during the restricted period.

You must monitor both calendars.

How it works

• Definition: “Red news” is high-impact scheduled events (CPI, NFP, rate decisions, major central bank speeches/decisions, etc.) shown as High Impact / Red on the calendars PropXP recognizes.
• If you don’t have the News Trading add-on on Funded/Instant Funding:
  • You must be flat 5 minutes before the event, and
  • You must not open or close any trades until 5 minutes after.
• What counts as “trading” in that window:
  • Market orders (open/close)
  • Pending orders triggering
  • And it can include SL/TP activations during the window (because they execute).

Scope Of Restriction

When news is restricted on your account:

• All U.S. high-impact news events (e.g. CPI, NFP, FOMC decisions and speeches, PPI, Retail Sales, GDP, ISM, etc.) trigger a global trading blackout during the restricted window. All trading is restricted across all instruments, even if they are not directly related to the USD.
• High-impact decisions and speeches from the following central banks also trigger a global trading blackout across all instruments:
  • European Central Bank (ECB)
  • Bank of England (BOE)
  • Bank of Japan (BOJ)
• For all other high-impact news events, only instruments directly related to the affected currency or country are restricted.
  Example: During an RBA rate decision, only AUD-related instruments are restricted, while EURUSD remains available.
• Crude Oil Inventories (EIA): Trading on USOIL and UKOIL is restricted during the event’s restricted window.
• Natural Gas Storage (EIA): Trading on NGAS is restricted during the event’s restricted window.

Easy-to-read table of restricted news

Common Gotchas

• “But I wasn’t trading USD.” → It doesn’t matter for U.S. high-impact news or ECB, BOE and BOJ high-impact decisions and speeches. These events trigger a global trading blackout on restricted accounts.
• “I closed it 2 seconds late.” → Two seconds or two minutes, it’s still inside the restricted window. Rules don’t allow exceptions.
• “I didn’t click anything.” → Your pending order triggered or your TP/SL was hit. That still counts as execution.
• If you’re unsure whether an event is restricted: Assume it is, flatten your positions before the restricted window, or purchase the News Trading Add-on before you start.