Federal · Title 12 — Banks and Banking

12 U.S.C. § 617: Engaging in commerce or trade in commodities; price fixing; forfeiture of charter; acts forbidden to directors, officers, agents, or employees

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Corporations cannot fix or control commodity prices. Directors, officers, agents, or employees who violate this face fines of $1,000–$5,000 and/or imprisonment of one to five years.

Read the full statutory text

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.

Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.