The terms trade and commerce are often used interchangeably, with commerce referring to large-scale business activity and trade describing commercial traffic within a state or a community.  The U.S. Constitution, through the Commerce Clause, gives Congress exclusive power over trade activities between the states and with foreign countries.  Trade within a state is regulated exclusively by the states themselves.  As with any commercial activity, intrastate and interstate trade is often times indistinguishable.

Federal agencies that help in trade regulation include the Department of Commerce (DOC) and the International Trade Administration (ITA).  The DOC is an agency of the executive branch that promotes international trade, economic growth, and technological advancement. The ITA is a branch of the DOC that works to improve the international trade position of the United States.  For additional topics related to trade regulation please refer to commercial law.

Federal Statutes

• U.S. Code:
  • Commerce and Trade - 15 U.S.C.
    • Monopolies and Combinations in Restraint of Trade - 15 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.

    • Federal Trade Commission; Promotion of Export Trade and Prevention of Unfair Methods of Competition - 15 U.S.C. § 41 et seq.

  Federal Regulations

• Title 15 C.F.R. - Commerce and Foreign Trade
• Title 16 C.F.R. - Commercial Practices
• Title 27 C.F.R. - Alcohol, Tobacco Products, and Firearms
• Title 29 C.F.R. - Labor
• Title 46 C.F.R. - Shipping
• Title 48 C.F.R. - Transportation

  Judicial Decisions

• U.S. Supreme Court: Recent Decisions on Trade Regulation

• U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals: Recent Decisions on Trade Regulation

State Statutes

• New York Agriculture and Markets Law, New York Alcohol Beverage Control Law,and New York General Business Law, California Food and Agricultural Code, and California Business and Professions Code govern trade in numerous products and services
• Other State Statutes Dealing with Business and Professions

State Judicial Decisions

Useful Offnet (or Subscription - $) Sources

• Good Starting Point in Print: Julian O. von Kalinowski, Antitrust Laws and Trade Regulation, Matthew Bender & Co. (2d Ed. 1996)

Other Topics Dealing with Particular Activities or Business Sectors
Other Topics Dealing with Enterprise Law