Title 12Banks and BankingRelease 119-73

§617 Engaging in commerce or trade in commodities; price fixing; forfeiture of charter; acts forbidden to directors, officers, agents, or employees

Title 12 › Chapter CHAPTER 6— - FOREIGN BANKING › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - ORGANIZATION OF CORPORATIONS TO DO FOREIGN BANKING › § 617

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Corporations under this part may not trade commodities except when these rules allow it, and they must not set or try to set prices. A corporation that breaks this rule can lose its charter under the procedures in this part. Directors, officers, agents, or employees may not use company credit, funds, or power to fix prices. Violators face fines of $1,000–$5,000, imprisonment one–five years, or both.

Full Legal Text

Title 12, §617

Banks and Banking — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

No corporation organized under this subchapter shall engage in commerce or trade in commodities except as specifically provided in this subchapter, nor shall it, either directly or indirectly, control or fix or attempt to control or fix the price of any such commodities. The charter of any corporation violating this provision shall be subject to forfeiture in the manner provided in this subchapter. It shall be unlawful for any director, officer, agent, or employee of any such corporation to use or to conspire to use the credit, the funds, or the power of the corporation to fix or control the price of any such commodities, and any such person violating this provision shall be liable to a fine of not less than $1,000 and not exceeding $5,000 or imprisonment not less than one year and not exceeding five years, or both, in the discretion of the court.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This subchapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this section”, meaning section 25A of act Dec. 23, 1913, which is classified to this subchapter (§ 611 et seq.). Codification Section is comprised of par. 9 (undesignated) of section 25A of act Dec. 23, 1913, which comprises this subchapter. For complete classification of section 25A of this Act, see Codification note set out under section 611 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

12 U.S.C. § 617

Title 12Banks and Banking

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73