Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§10 Interstate commerce and foreign commerce defined

Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 10

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Interstate commerce means trade between U.S. states, territories, possessions, or the District of Columbia; foreign commerce means trade with other countries.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §10

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The term “interstate commerce”, as used in this title, includes commerce between one State, Territory, Possession, or the District of Columbia and another State, Territory, Possession, or the District of Columbia. The term “foreign commerce”, as used in this title, includes commerce with a foreign country.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 408, 408b, 414(a), and 419a(b) (Oct. 29, 1919, ch. 89, § 2(b), 41 Stat. 325;
June 22, 1932, ch. 271, § 2, 47 Stat. 326;
May 18, 1934, ch. 301, 48 Stat. 782;
May 22, 1934, ch. 333, § 2(a), 48 Stat. 794; Aug. 18, 1941, ch. 366, § 2(b), 55 Stat. 631). This section consolidates into one section identical definitions contained in section 408, 408b, 414(a), and 419a(b) of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed. In addition to slight improvements in style, the word “commerce” was substituted for “transportation” in order to avoid the narrower connotation of the word “transportation” since “commerce” obviously includes more than “transportation.” The word “Possession” was inserted in two places to make the definition more accurate and comprehensive since the places included in the word “Possession” would normally be within the term defined and a narrower

Construction

should be handled by express statutory exclusion in those crimes which Congress intends to restrict to commerce within the continental United States.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 10

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73