iSHARES(R) Canada Announces Launch of Six New ETFs

BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK) today announced that its iShares product range, the
global leader in exchange traded funds (ETFs), has launched six new funds in
Canada, offering investors increased access to emerging market countries and
U.S. fixed income markets. 


The six new funds include: 

iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund (TSX:XBZ), iShares S&P Latin America 40 Index
Fund (TSX:XLA), the iShares CNX Nifty India Index Fund (TSX:XID), iShares China
Index Fund (TSX:XCH), the iShares U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index Fund (CAD-Hedged)
(TSX:XIG) and the iShares U.S. High Yield Bond Index Fund (CAD-Hedged)
(TSX:XHY). These funds are managed by BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited
and they will begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange today.


"As markets continue to stabilize, investors are revisiting their risk
threshold" said Heather Pelant, Managing Director, head of iShares Canada at
BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited. 


"Four of our funds offer a cost-efficient way of gaining targeted exposure to
growth-oriented emerging market countries. The US bond ETFs address investors'
needs for more sophisticated income generating products. They join our
comprehensive suite of iShares ETFs, which are recognized by our clients and the
industry for their precision, quality and effectiveness in tracking the
underlying asset class or market exposure." 


The six new iShares ETFs include: 



-   The iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund (TSX:XBZ), with a management ratio of
    0.75%, and which seeks to provide long-term capital growth by
    replicating, to the extent possible, the performance of the MSCI Brazil
    Index, net of expenses. 
    
-   The iShares S&P Latin America 40 Index Fund (TSX:XLA), with a management
    ratio of 0.65%, and which seeks to provide long-term capital growth by
    replicating, to the extent possible, the performance of the S&P Latin
    America 40 Index, net of expenses. 
    
-   The iShares CNX Nifty India Index Fund (TSX:XID), with a management
    ratio of 0.98%, and which seeks to provide long-term capital growth by
    replicating, to the extent possible, the performance of the S&P CNX
    Nifty Index, net of expenses. 
    
-   The iShares China Index Fund (TSX:XCH), with a management ratio of
    0.85%, and which seeks to provide long-term capital growth by
    replicating, to the extent possible, the performance of the FTSE/Xinhua
    China 25 Index, net of expenses. 
    
-   The iShares U.S. IG Corporate Bond Index Fund (CAD-Hedged) (TSX:XIG),
    with a management ratio of 0.30%, and which seeks to provide income by
    replicating, to the extent possible, the performance of an index which
    is a diversified representation of the USD-denominated investment grade
    corporate bond market, net of expenses. XIG intends to hedge any
    currency exposure to the U.S. dollar to Canadian dollars. Currently, XIG
    seeks to replicate the performance of the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid
    Investment Grade Index. 
    
-   The iShares U.S. High Yield Bond Index Fund (CAD-Hedged) (TSX:XHY), with
    a management ratio of 0.60%, and which seeks to provide income by
    replicating, to the extent possible, the performance of an index which
    is a diversified representation of the USD-denominated high yield
    corporate bond market, net of expenses. XHY intends to hedge any
    currency exposure to the U.S. dollar to Canadian dollars. Currently, XHY
    seeks to replicate the performance of the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High
    Yield Index. 
    



For more information about the new iShares funds, please visit www.iShares.ca.
All other inquiries: 1-866-iShares (1-866-474-2737) or email
[e-mail].


About BlackRock, Inc. ("BlackRock")

BlackRock is a leader in investment management, risk management and advisory
services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. With approximately $3.2
trillion under management as of September 30, 2009 (pro forma), BlackRock offers
products that span the risk spectrum to meet clients' needs, including active,
enhanced and index strategies across markets and asset classes. Products are
offered in a variety of structures including separate accounts, mutual funds,
iShares(R) (exchange traded funds), and other pooled investment vehicles.
BlackRock also offers risk management, advisory and enterprise investment system
services to a broad base of institutional investors through BlackRock Solutions.
Headquartered in New York City, the firm has over 8,500 employees in 24
countries. For additional information, please visit BlackRock's website at
www.blackrock.com. 


About iShares

iShares is the global product leader in exchange traded funds with over 410
funds globally across equities, fixed income and commodities, which trade on 16
exchanges worldwide. The iShares funds are bought and sold like common stocks on
securities exchanges. The iShares funds are attractive to many individual and
institutional investors and financial intermediaries because of their relative
low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and
sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and
hold the funds in any type of brokerage account. The iShares customer base
consists of the institutional segment of pension plans and fund managers, as
well as the retail segment of financial advisors and high net worth individuals.