§8. Trusts in restraint of import trade illegal; penalty

Every combination, conspiracy, trust, agreement, or contract is declared to be contrary to public policy, illegal, and void when the same is made by or between two or more persons or corporations, either of whom, as agent or principal, is engaged in importing any article from any foreign country into the United States, and when such combination, conspiracy, trust, agreement, or contract is intended to operate in restraint of lawful trade, or free competition in lawful trade or commerce, or to increase the market price in any part of the United States of any article or articles imported or intended to be imported into the United States, or of any manufacture into which such imported article enters or is intended to enter. Every person who shall be engaged in the importation of goods or any commodity from any foreign country in violation of this section, or who shall combine or conspire with another to violate the same, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof in any court of the United States such person shall be fined in a sum not less than $100 and not exceeding $5,000, and shall be further punished by imprisonment, in the discretion of the court, for a term not less than three months nor exceeding twelve months.

(Aug. 27, 1894, ch. 349, §73, 28 Stat. 570 ; Feb. 12, 1913, ch. 40, 37 Stat. 667 .)

Amendments

1913-Act Feb. 12, 1913, inserted "as agent or principal".

Short Title

Section 78 of act Aug. 27, 1894, as added by Pub. L. 94–435, title III, §305(d), Sept. 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 1397 , provided that: "Sections 73, 74, 75, 76, and 77 of this Act [sections 8 to 11 of this title] may be cited as the 'Wilson Tariff Act'."

Wilson Tariff Act Referred to in Other Sections

The Wilson Tariff Act [15 U.S.C. 8 to 11] is referred to in sections 12, 31, 44 of this title; title 7 section 225; title 16 section 2602, title 30 section 1413; title 42 section 2135; title 43 section 1331; title 49 section 10706.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 9, 11, 3301 of this title; title 10 section 7430; title 16 section 2602; title 30 section 184; title 40 section 488; title 42 sections 5417, 5909, 6202, 8235f, 9102; title 43 section 1770; title 45 section 791; title 46 App. section 1702; title 49 section 10706; title 50 App. sections 1941a, 2158.