--- kind: "section" citation: "50 U.S.C. § 4303" title: "50" title_heading: "War and National Defense" number: "4303" heading: "Acts prohibited" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/50/4303" units: - "Chapter 53 — Trading with the Enemy" --- # §4303. Acts prohibited It shall be unlawful— - (a) For any [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) in the United States, except with the license of the President, granted to such [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1), or to the [enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c), or [ally of enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c), as provided in this chapter, to trade, or attempt to trade, either directly or indirectly, with, to, or from, or for, or on account of, or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any other [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1), with knowledge or reasonable cause to believe that such other [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) is an [enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c) or [ally of enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c), or is conducting or taking part in such trade, directly or indirectly, for, or on account of, or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, an [enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c) or [ally of enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c). - (b) For any [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1), except with the license of the President, to transport or attempt to transport into or from the United States, or for any owner, master, or other [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) in charge of a vessel of American registry to transport or attempt to transport from any place to any other place, any subject or citizen of an [enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c) or [ally of enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c) nation, with knowledge or reasonable cause to believe that the [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) transported or attempted to be transported is such subject or citizen. - (c) For any [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) (other than a [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) in the service of the United States Government or of the Government of any nation, except that of an [enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c) or [ally of enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c) nation, and other than such [persons](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) or classes of [persons](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) as may be exempted hereunder by the President or by such [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) as he may direct), to send, or take out of, or bring into, or attempt to send, or take out of, or bring into the United States, any letter or other writing or tangible form of communication, except in the regular course of the mail; and it shall be unlawful for any [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) to send, take, or transmit, or attempt to send, take, or transmit out of the United States, any letter or other writing, book, map, plan, or other paper, picture, or any telegram, cablegram, or wireless message, or other form of communication intended for or to be delivered, directly or indirectly, to an [enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c) or [ally of enemy](/usc/50/4302.md?p=c): Provided, however, That any [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) may send, take, or transmit out of the United States anything herein forbidden if he shall first submit the same to the President, or to such officer as the President may direct, and shall obtain the license or consent of the President, under such rules and regulations, and with such exemptions, as shall be prescribed by the President. - (d) Whenever, during the present war, the President shall deem that the public safety demands it, he may cause to be censored under such rules and regulations as he may from time to time establish, communications by mail, cable, radio, or other means of transmission passing between the United States and any foreign country he may from time to time specify, or which may be carried by any vessel or other means of transportation touching at any port, place, or territory of the United States and bound to or from any foreign country. Any [person](/usc/50/4335.md?p=b-1) who willfully evades or attempts to evade the submission of any such communication to such censorship or willfully uses or attempts to use any code or other device for the purpose of concealing from such censorship the intended meaning of such communication shall be punished as provided in [section 4315 of this title](/usc/50/4315.md). ## Source credit (Oct. 6, 1917, ch. 106, § 3, 40 Stat. 412.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### References in Text This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this Act”, meaning act Oct. 6, 1917, ch. 106, 40 Stat. 411, known as the Trading with the enemy Act, also known as the Trading with the Enemy Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 4301 of this title and Tables. ### Codification Section was formerly classified to section 3 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section. ### Executive Documents ### Delegation of Functions President’s powers under subsec. (a) of this section delegated during World War II to Secretary of the Treasury by Memorandum of the President dated Feb. 12, 1942, 7 F.R. 1409, and to Alien Property Custodian by Ex. Ord. No. 9095, Mar. 11, 1942, 7 F.R. 1971. Office of World War II Alien Property Custodian terminated and powers, duties, and functions vested in or transferred or delegated to such Office or in the Alien Property Custodian transferred to Attorney General, see Ex. Ord. No. 9788, set out under section 4306 of this title.