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Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§65 Information required from export trade corporation; powers of Federal Trade Commission

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 2— - FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION; PROMOTION OF EXPORT TRADE AND PREVENTION OF UNFAIR METHODS OF COMPETITION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - PROMOTION OF EXPORT TRADE › § 65

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Associations that only do export trade must, within 30 days after they form, send the Federal Trade Commission a signed statement saying where their offices are and giving the names and addresses of all officers and all stockholders or members. Corporations must include their charter and bylaws; unincorporated groups must include their association agreement. Every year on January 1 they must file an updated statement with any changes and give any other information the Commission asks about their organization, business, practices, management, or relationships with other companies or people. If an association fails to file, it loses certain legal benefits and must pay $100 for each day it stays in violation. The United States can sue to collect the fines where the association has its main office or does business, and U.S. attorneys must bring the case under the Attorney General’s direction; prosecution costs come from the courts’ expense fund. If the Commission believes an association is restraining trade, fixing prices, or hurting competition, it can summon the group and its officers to investigate, recommend business changes, and, if the group ignores those recommendations, refer the matter to the Attorney General. The Commission has the enforcement powers given to it under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §65

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Every association which engages solely in export trade, within thirty days after its creation, shall file with the Federal Trade Commission a verified written statement setting forth the location of its offices or places of business and the names and addresses of all its officers and of all its stockholders or members, and if a corporation, a copy of its certificate or articles of incorporation and bylaws, and if unincorporated, a copy of its articles or contract of association, and on the 1st day of January of each year every association engaged solely in export trade shall make a like statement of the location of its offices or places of business and the names and addresses of all its officers and of all its stockholders or members and of all amendments to and changes in its articles or certificate of incorporation or in its articles or contract of association. It shall also furnish to the Commission such information as the Commission may require as to its organization business, conduct, practices, management, and relation to other associations, corporations, partnerships, and individuals. Any association which shall fail so to do shall not have the benefit of the provisions of section 62 and 63 of this title, and it shall also forfeit to the United States the sum of $100 for each and every day of the continuance of such failure, which forfeiture shall be payable into the Treasury of the United States, and shall be recoverable in a civil suit in the name of the United States brought in the district where the association has its principal office, or in any district in which it shall do business. It shall be the duty of the various United States attorneys, under the direction of the Attorney General of the United States, to prosecute for the recovery of the forfeiture. The costs and expenses of such prosecution shall be paid out of the appropriation for the expenses of the courts of the United States. Whenever the Federal Trade Commission shall have reason to believe that an association or any agreement made or act done by such association is in restraint of trade within the United States or in restraint of the export trade of any domestic competitor of such association, or that an association either in the United States or elsewhere has entered into any agreement, understanding, or conspiracy, or done any act which artificially or intentionally enhances or depresses prices within the United States of commodities of the class exported by such association, or which substantially lessens competition within the United States or otherwise restrains trade therein, it shall summon such association, its officers, and agents to appear before it, and thereafter conduct an investigation into the alleged violations of law. Upon investigation, if it shall conclude that the law has been violated, it may make to such association recommendations for the readjustment of its business, in order that it may thereafter maintain its organization and management and conduct its business in accordance with law. If such association fails to comply with the recommendations of the Federal Trade Commission, said Commission shall refer its findings and recommendations to the Attorney General of the United States for such action thereon as he may deem proper. For the purpose of enforcing these provisions the Federal Trade Commission shall have all the powers, so far as applicable, given it in the Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.].

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Federal Trade Commission Act, referred to in text, is act Sept. 26, 1914, ch. 311, 38 Stat. 717, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§ 41 et seq.) of this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 58 of this title and Tables. Codification “Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.]” substituted in text for “An Act to create a Federal Trade Commission, to define its powers and duties, and for other purposes,” on authority of section 18 of that Act [15 U.S.C. 58].

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Act June 25, 1948, eff. Sept. 1, 1948, substituted “United States attorneys” for “district attorneys”. See section 541 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

of Federal Trade Commission, with certain exceptions, to Chairman of such Commission, see Reorg. Plan No. 8 of 1950, § 1, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3175, 64 Stat. 1264, set out under section 41 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 65

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73