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Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-73not60

§87f–1 Registration Requirements

Title 7 › Chapter 3— GRAIN STANDARDS › § 87f–1

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

People who buy, handle, weigh, or transport grain to sell in foreign trade must register with the Secretary. It does not apply to four groups: people who only do these things occasionally, producers who only sometimes sell or move grain they bought, carriers who only transport grain for hire and do not own it, and buyers who buy grain for feeding or processing and do not resell it except occasionally. Registered businesses must give the Secretary their business name and main address, the names of directors and top officers, people who control the business, the main places they operate, and any other needed information. A "control relationship" means owning 10% or more (including ownership by a spouse, minor children, or relatives in the same household) or control through related businesses. The Secretary gives a registration certificate that must be renewed every year. Changes must be reported within 30 days. The Secretary can suspend or cancel a certificate after a hearing under the Title 5 hearing rules if the business breaks the law or is convicted under Title 18 for grain handling crimes. The Secretary must charge fees to cover registration costs and put them into the fund in section 79(j).

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §87f–1

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall provide, by regulation, for the registration of all persons engaged in the business of buying grain for sale in foreign commerce, and in the business of handling, weighing, or transporting of grain for sale in foreign commerce. This section shall not apply to—
(1)any person who only incidentally or occasionally buys for sale, or handles, weighs, or transports grain for sale and is not engaged in the regular business of buying grain for sale, or handling, weighing, or transporting grain for sale;
(2)any producer of grain who only incidentally or occasionally sells or transports grain which the producer has purchased;
(3)any person who transports grain for hire and does not own a financial interest in such grain; or
(4)any person who buys grain for feeding or processing and not for the purpose of reselling and only incidentally or occasionally sells such grain as grain.
(b)(1)All persons required to register under this chapter shall submit the following information to the Secretary:
(A)the name and principal address of the business,
(B)the names of all directors of such business,
(C)the names of the principal officers of such business,
(D)the names of all persons in a control relationship with respect to such business,
(E)a list of locations where the business conducts substantial operations, and
(F)such other information as the Secretary deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
(2)For the purposes of this section, a person shall be deemed to be in a “control relationship” with respect to a business required to register under subsection (a) and with respect to applicable interstate businesses if—
(A)such person has an ownership interest of 10 per centum or more in such business, or
(B)a business or group of business entities, with respect to which such person is in a control relationship, has an ownership interest of 10 per centum or more in such business.
(3)For purposes of clauses (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) of this subsection, a person shall be considered to own the ownership interest which is owned by his or her spouse, minor children, and relatives living in the same household.
(c)The Secretary shall issue a certificate of registration to persons who comply with the provisions of this section. The certificate of registration issued in accordance with this section shall be renewed annually. If there has been any change in the information required under subsection (b), the person holding such certificate shall, within thirty days of the discovery of such change, notify the Secretary of such change. No person shall engage in the business of buying grain for sale in foreign commerce, and in the business of handling, weighing, or transporting of grain in foreign commerce unless the person has registered with the Secretary as required by this chapter and has an unsuspended and unrevoked certificate of registration.
(d)The Secretary may suspend or revoke any certificate of registration issued under this section whenever, after the person holding such certificate has been afforded an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with section 554, 556, and 557 of title 5, the Secretary shall determine that such person has violated any provision of this chapter or of the regulations promulgated thereunder, or has been convicted of any violation involving the handling, weighing, or inspection of grain under title 18.
(e)The Secretary shall charge and collect fees from any person registered under this section. The amount of such fees shall be determined on the basis of the costs of the Secretary in administering the registration required by this section. Such fees shall be deposited in, and used as part of, the fund described in section 79(j) of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Subsecs. (a), (b)(1), (c) to (e). Pub. L. 103–354 substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” wherever appearing. 1993—Pub. L. 103–156, § 12(p), which directed amendment of “section 17A”, without specifying the name of the Act being amended, was executed to this section, which is section 17A of the United States Grain Standards Act, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 103–156, § 12(p)(1), substituted “the producer” for “he”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–156, § 12(p)(2), substituted “the person” for “he” in last sentence. 1977—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 95–113 substituted “All persons required to register” for “All persons registered” in provisions preceding subpar. (A).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1977 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–113 effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901 of Pub. L. 95–113, set out as a note under section 1307 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective 30 days after Oct. 21, 1976, see section 27 of Pub. L. 94–582, as amended, set out as an

Effective Date

of 1976 Amendment note under section 74 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 87f–1

Title 7, Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60