---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 212"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "212"
heading: "Prescribing rates and practices to prevent discrimination between intrastate and interstate commerce"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/212"
units:
  - "Chapter 9 — Packers and Stockyards"
  - "Subchapter III — Stockyards and Stockyard Dealers"
---

# §212. Prescribing rates and practices to prevent discrimination between intrastate and interstate commerce


Whenever in any investigation under the provisions of this subchapter, or in any investigation instituted by petition of the [stockyard owner](/usc/7/201.md?p=a), [market agency](/usc/7/201.md?p=c), or [dealer](/usc/7/201.md?p=d) concerned, which petition is authorized to be filed, the [Secretary](/usc/7/182.md?p=2) after full hearing finds that any rate, charge, regulation, or practice of any [stockyard owner](/usc/7/201.md?p=a), [market agency](/usc/7/201.md?p=c), or [dealer](/usc/7/201.md?p=d), for or in connection with the buying or selling on a commission basis or otherwise, receiving, marketing, feeding, holding, delivery, shipment, weighing, or handling, not in [commerce](/usc/7/182.md?p=11), of [livestock](/usc/7/182.md?p=4), causes any undue or unreasonable advantage, prejudice, or preference as between [persons](/usc/7/182.md?p=1) or localities in intrastate [commerce](/usc/7/182.md?p=11) in [livestock](/usc/7/182.md?p=4) on the one hand and [interstate or foreign commerce](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-3) in [livestock](/usc/7/182.md?p=4) on the other hand, or any undue, unjust, or unreasonable discrimination against [interstate or foreign commerce](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-3) in [livestock](/usc/7/182.md?p=4), which is hereby forbidden and declared to be unlawful, the [Secretary](/usc/7/182.md?p=2) shall prescribe the rate, charge, regulation, or practice thereafter to be observed, in such manner as, in his judgment, will remove such advantage, preference, or discrimination. Such rates, charges, regulations, or practices shall be observed while in effect by the [stockyard owners](/usc/7/201.md?p=a), [market agencies](/usc/7/201.md?p=c), or [dealers](/usc/7/201.md?p=d) parties to such proceeding affected thereby, the law of any [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) or the decision or order of any [State](/usc/7/198.md?p=5) authority to the contrary notwithstanding.


## Source credit

(Aug. 15, 1921, ch. 64, title III, § 311, 42 Stat. 167; Pub. L. 85–909, § 2(4), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1750; Pub. L. 94–410, § 3(c), Sept. 13, 1976, 90 Stat. 1249.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1976—Pub. L. 94–410 substituted “livestock” for “live stock” wherever appearing.

1958—Pub. L. 85–909 substituted “stockyard owner, market agency, or dealer” for “stockyard owner or market agency” wherever occurring, and “stockyard owners, market agencies, or dealers” for “stockyard owners or market agencies”.