7 U.S.C. § 1642: Enforcement by President

Summary

The President can make rules and can ban or limit imports or exports of wheat and wheat flour to carry out the International Wheat Agreement. People who export, import, or sell wheat or wheat flour for export must tell the President the information he asks for and keep records he requires. The President may inspect books and papers tied to those wheat transactions. If someone fails to report, keeps no records, makes a false report, or breaks the President’s rules, they can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined up to $1,000 for each violation. If someone knowingly ships more wheat or wheat flour than allowed, they must forfeit twice the market value of the extra amount; the United States can sue to get that money. Federal district courts handle crimes and civil suits under this law. Cases can be filed where the act happened or where the defendant lives or does business. The President may let a government department, agency, or officer act for him. Money can be appropriated as needed to carry out these rules. Funds may be used for vehicles, printing, rent, hiring experts or consultants, and paying up to $50 per day for temporary experts without following some usual federal pay limits (including the limit in section 607(g) of the Federal Employees Pay Act of 1945, 5 U.S.C. 947(g)). Actions under this law are mostly excluded from the Administrative Procedure Act except for its sections 3 and 10. “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other organized group, singular or plural.

Title 7, §1642

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(a)Rules or regulations

The President is further authorized to take such other action, including prohibiting or restricting the importation or exportation of wheat or wheat-flour and to issue such rules or regulations which shall have the force and effect of law, as may be necessary in his judgment in the implementation of the International Wheat Agreement.

(b)Reports; keeping and examination of books and records

All persons exporting or importing wheat or wheat-flour or selling wheat or wheat-flour for export shall report to the President such information as he may from time to time require and keep such records as he finds to be necessary to enable him to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Such information shall be reported and such records shall be kept in accordance with such regulations as the President may prescribe. For the purposes of ascertaining the correctness of any report made or record kept, or of obtaining information required to be furnished in any report, but not so furnished, the President is authorized to examine such books, papers, records, accounts, correspondence, contracts, documents, and memoranda as are relevant to transactions under the International Wheat Agreement and are within the control of any such person.

(c)Penalty for violation

Any person failing to make any report or keep any record as required by or pursuant to this section, or making any false report or record or knowingly violating any rule or regulation of the President issued pursuant to this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 for each violation.

(d)Forfeiture for excessive exports or imports

Any person who knowingly and willfully exports wheat or wheat-flour from the United States, or who knowingly and willfully imports wheat or wheat-flour into the United States for consumption therein, in excess of the quantity of wheat or wheat-flour permitted to be exported or imported, as the case may be, under regulations issued by the President shall forfeit to the United States a sum equal to two times the market value at the time of the commission of any such act, of the quantity of wheat or wheat-flour by which any such exportation or importation exceeds the authorized amount which forfeiture shall be recoverable in a civil suit brought in the name of the United States.

(e)Jurisdiction and venue of actions; remedies, fines, and forfeitures as additional

The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction of violations of this chapter or the rules and regulations thereunder, and of all suits in equity and actions at law brought to enforce any liability or duty created by this chapter or the rules and regulations thereunder. Any criminal proceeding may be brought in the district wherein any act or transaction constituting the violation occurred. Any suit or action to enforce any liability or duty created by this chapter or rules and regulations thereunder, or to enjoin any violation of such chapter or rules and regulations, may be brought in any such district wherein the defendant is found or is a resident or transacts business. The remedies, fines, and forfeitures provided for in this chapter shall be in addition to, and not exclusive of, any of the remedies, fines, and forfeitures under existing law.

(f)Delegation of authority

Any power, authority, or discretion conferred on the President by this chapter may be exercised through such department, agency, or officer of the Government as the President may direct, and shall be exercised in conformity with such rules or regulations as he may prescribe.

(g)Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, including the necessary expenses and contributions of the United States in connection with the administration of the International Wheat Agreement.

(h)Use of funds

Funds appropriated under authority of this chapter may be used for the purchase or hire of passenger motor vehicles, for printing and binding, for rent and personal services in the District of Columbia and elsewhere without regard to the limitation contained in section 607(g) of the Federal Employees Pay Act of 1945, as amended [5 U.S.C. 947(g)], and for the employment of experts or consultants or organization thereof, on a temporary basis, by contract or otherwise, without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, at rates not in excess of $50 per diem.

(i)Exclusion from Administrative Procedure Act

The functions exercised under authority of this chapter shall be excluded from the operation of the Administrative Procedure Act (60 Stat. 237) except as to the requirements of section 3 and 10 thereof.

(j)“Person” defined

The term “person” as used in this section shall include the singular and the plural and any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or any other organized group of persons.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 607(g) of the Federal Employees Pay Act of 1945, as amended, referred to in subsec. (h), was repealed by act Sept. 12, 1950, ch. 946, title III, § 301 (85), 64 Stat. 843. The Administrative Procedure Act, referred to in subsec. (i), is act June 11, 1946, ch. 324, 60 Stat. 237, which was repealed and reenacted as subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, by Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 378, which enacted Title 5. section 3 and 10 thereof are covered by section 552 and chapter 7, respectively, of Title 5. Codification The words “and the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia” in subsection (e) following “district courts of the United States” have been deleted as superfluous in view of section 132 (a) of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, which states that “There shall be in each judicial district a district court which shall be a court of record known as the United States District Court for the district”, and section 88 of said Title 28 which states that “The District of Columbia constitutes one judicial district”. In subsec. (h), “chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5” was substituted for “the Classification Act of 1949” on authority of Pub. L. 89–554, § 7(b), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 631, the first section of which enacted Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Amendments

1949—Subsec. (h). Act Oct. 28, 1949, substituted “Classification Act of 1949” for “Classification Act [of 1923]”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Repeals

Act Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782, cited as a credit to this section, was repealed (subject to a savings clause) by Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, § 8, 80 Stat. 632, 655.

Executive Documents

Executive Order No. 11108 Ex. Ord. No. 11108, May 22, 1963, 28 F.R. 5185, which delegated to Secretary of Agriculture authority of President under this chapter, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12553, Feb. 25, 1986, 51 F.R. 7237.

§1642 Enforcement by President