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7 USC § 1638b - Enforcement

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t7/s1638b"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "7 USC § 1638b - Enforcement"
title_number: 7
title_name: "AGRICULTURE"
section_number: "1638b"
section_name: "Enforcement"
chapter_number: 38
chapter_name: "DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS"
subchapter_number: "IV"
subchapter_name: "COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 14, 1946, ch. 966, title II, § 283, as added Pub. L. 107–171, title X, § 10816, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 535; amended Pub. L. 110–234, title XI, § 11002(3), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1354; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title XI, § 11002(3), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2116.)"
---

# § 1638b. Enforcement

**(a)** **Warnings** If the Secretary determines that a retailer or person engaged in the business of supplying a covered commodity to a retailer is in violation of section 1638a of this title, the Secretary shall—

**1** notify the retailer [^1] of the determination of the Secretary; and

So in original. Probably should be “retailer or person”.

**(2)** provide the retailer <sup>1</sup> a 30-day period, beginning on the date on which the retailer <sup>1</sup> receives the notice under paragraph (1) from the Secretary, during which the retailer <sup>1</sup> may take necessary steps to comply with section 1638a of this title.

**(b)** **Fines** If, on completion of the 30-day period described in subsection (a)(2), the Secretary determines that the retailer or person engaged in the business of supplying a covered commodity to a retailer has—

after providing notice and an opportunity for a hearing before the Secretary with respect to the violation, the Secretary may fine the retailer or person in an amount of not more than $1,000 for each violation.

**(1)** not made a good faith effort to comply with section 1638a of this title, and

**(2)** continues to willfully violate section 1638a of this title with respect to the violation about which the retailer or person received notification under subsection (a)(1),

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 14, 1946, ch. 966, title II, § 283, as added Pub. L. 107–171, title X, § 10816, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 535; amended Pub. L. 110–234, title XI, § 11002(3), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1354; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title XI, § 11002(3), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2116.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

and  made identical amendments to this section. The amendments by  were repealed by .

### Amendments

2008—, redesignated subsec. (b) as (a) and substituted “retailer or person engaged in the business of supplying a covered commodity to a retailer” for “retailer” in introductory provisions, added subsec. (b), and struck out former subsecs. (a) and (c) which related to applicability of  to a violation of this subchapter and fine for violation of . The substitution in subsec. (a) was made for “retailer” the first time appearing to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2008 Amendment

Amendment of this section and repeal of  by  effective , the date of enactment of , see , set out as an Effective Date note under .