---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 6m"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "6m"
heading: "Use of mails or other means or instrumentalities of interstate commerce by commodity trading advisors and commodity pool operators; relation to other law"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/6m"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — Commodity Exchanges"
---

# §6m. Use of mails or other means or instrumentalities of interstate commerce by commodity trading advisors and commodity pool operators; relation to other law

- (1) It shall be unlawful for any [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A) or [commodity pool operator](/usc/7/1a.md?p=11-A), unless registered under this chapter, to make use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of [interstate commerce](/usc/7/1a.md?p=30) in connection with his business as such [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A) or [commodity pool operator](/usc/7/1a.md?p=11-A): Provided, That the provisions of this section shall not apply to any [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A) who, during the course of the preceding twelve months, has not furnished [commodity](/usc/7/1a.md?p=9) trading advice to more than fifteen [persons](/usc/7/1a.md?p=38) and who does not hold himself out generally to the public as a [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A). The provisions of this section shall not apply to any [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A) who is a (1) [dealer](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-6), processor, [broker](/usc/7/499a.md?p=b-7), or seller in cash [market](/usc/7/198.md?p=1) transactions of any [commodity](/usc/7/1a.md?p=9) specifically set forth in [section 2(a) of this title](/usc/7/2.md?p=a) prior to October 23, 1974, (or products thereof) or (2) nonprofit, voluntary membership, general farm organization, who provides advice on the sale or purchase of any [commodity](/usc/7/1a.md?p=9) specifically set forth in [section 2(a) of this title](/usc/7/2.md?p=a) prior to October 23, 1974; if the advice by the [person](/usc/7/1a.md?p=38) described in clause (1) or (2) of this sentence as a [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A) is solely incidental to the conduct of that [person](/usc/7/1a.md?p=38)’s business: Provided, That such [person](/usc/7/1a.md?p=38) shall be subject to proceedings under [section 18 of this title](/usc/7/18.md).
- (2) Nothing in this chapter shall relieve any [person](/usc/7/1a.md?p=38) of any obligation or duty, or affect the availability of any right or remedy available to the [Securities](/usc/7/1a.md?p=41) and [Exchange](/usc/7/1a.md?p=1-D) [Commission](/usc/7/1a.md?p=8) or any private party arising under the Securities Act of 1933 [[15 U.S.C. 77a](/usc/15/77a.md) et seq.] or the [Securities](/usc/7/1a.md?p=41) Exchange Act of 1934 [[15 U.S.C. 78a](/usc/15/78a.md) et seq.] governing the issuance, [offer](/usc/7/1a.md?p=36), purchase, or sale of [securities](/usc/7/1a.md?p=41) of a [commodity pool](/usc/7/1a.md?p=10-A), or of [persons](/usc/7/1a.md?p=38) engaged in transactions with respect to such [securities](/usc/7/1a.md?p=41), or reporting by a [commodity pool](/usc/7/1a.md?p=10-A).
- (3) **Exception.—**
  - (A) **In general.—** [Paragraph (1)](#1) shall not apply to any [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A) that is registered with the [Securities](/usc/7/1a.md?p=41) and [Exchange](/usc/7/1a.md?p=1-D) [Commission](/usc/7/1a.md?p=8) as an investment adviser whose business does not consist primarily of acting as a [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A), as defined in [section 1a of this title](/usc/7/1a.md), and that does not act as a [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A) to any [commodity pool](/usc/7/1a.md?p=10-A) that is engaged primarily in trading [commodity](/usc/7/1a.md?p=9) interests.
  - (B) **Engaged primarily.—** For purposes of [subparagraph (A)](#3-A), a [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A) or a [commodity pool](/usc/7/1a.md?p=10-A) shall be considered to be “engaged primarily” in the business of being a [commodity trading advisor](/usc/7/1a.md?p=12-A) or [commodity pool](/usc/7/1a.md?p=10-A) if it is or holds itself out to the public as being engaged primarily, or proposes to engage primarily, in the business of advising on [commodity](/usc/7/1a.md?p=9) interests or investing, reinvesting, owning, holding, or trading in [commodity](/usc/7/1a.md?p=9) interests, respectively.
  - (C) **Commodity interests.—** For purposes of this paragraph, [commodity](/usc/7/1a.md?p=9) interests shall include contracts of sale of a [commodity](/usc/7/1a.md?p=9) for [future delivery](/usc/7/1a.md?p=27), [options](/usc/7/1a.md?p=36) on such contracts, [security futures](/usc/7/1a.md?p=44), [swaps](/usc/7/1a.md?p=47-A), leverage contracts, foreign [exchange](/usc/7/1a.md?p=1-D), spot and forward contracts on physical [commodities](/usc/7/1a.md?p=9), and any monies held in an account used for trading [commodity](/usc/7/1a.md?p=9) interests.

## Source credit

(Sept. 21, 1922, ch. 369, § 4m, as added Pub. L. 93–463, title II, § 205(a), Oct. 23, 1974, 88 Stat. 1398; amended Pub. L. 95–405, § 8, Sept. 30, 1978, 92 Stat. 870; Pub. L. 97–444, title I, § 103, Jan. 11, 1983, 96 Stat. 2296; Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(5) [title II, § 251(d)], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–443; Pub. L. 111–203, title VII, §§ 721(e)(2), 749(b), July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1671, 1747.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Securities Act of 1933, referred to in par. (2), is title I of act May 27, 1933, ch. 38, 48 Stat. 74, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§ 77a et seq.) of chapter 2A of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 77a of Title 15 and Tables.

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, referred to in par. (2), is act June 6, 1934, ch. 404, 48 Stat. 881, which is classified principally to chapter 2B (§ 78a et seq.) of Title 15. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 78a of Title 15 and Tables.

### Amendments

2010—Par. (3). Pub. L. 111–203, § 749(b), inserted heading, designated existing provisions as subpar. (A) and inserted heading, substituted “Paragraph (1)” for “Subsection (1) of this section” and “to any commodity pool that is engaged primarily in trading commodity interests.” for “to any investment trust, syndicate, or similar form of enterprise that is engaged primarily in trading in any commodity for future delivery on or subject to the rules of any contract market or registered derivatives transaction execution facility.”, and added subpars. (B) and (C).

Pub. L. 111–203, § 721(e)(2), substituted “section 1a” for “section 1a(6)”.

2000—Par. (3). Pub. L. 106–554 added par. (3).

1983—Pub. L. 97–444 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

1978—Pub. L. 95–405 inserted provisions relating to applicability of this section to commodity trading advisors who are dealers, processors, brokers, or sellers in cash market transactions of specifically listed commodities or nonprofit, voluntary membership, general farm organizations who provide advice on sale or purchase of specifically listed commodities if the advice by the person described in cl. (1) or (2) of this sentence is incidental solely to the conduct to the person’s business and that such person be subject to proceedings under section 18 of this title.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2010 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 111–203 effective on the later of 360 days after July 21, 2010, or, to the extent a provision of subtitle A (§§ 711–754) of title VII of Pub. L. 111–203 requires a rulemaking, not less than 60 days after publication of the final rule or regulation implementing such provision of subtitle A, see section 754 of Pub. L. 111–203, set out as a note under section 1a of this title.

### Effective Date of 1983 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 97–444 effective Jan. 11, 1983, see section 239 of Pub. L. 97–444, set out as a note under section 2 of this title.

### Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–405 effective Oct. 1, 1978, see section 28 of Pub. L. 95–405, set out as a note under section 2 of this title.

### Effective Date

For effective date of section, see section 418 of Pub. L. 93–463, set out as an Effective Date of 1974 Amendment note under section 2 of this title.