12 U.S.C. § 372 (BANKS AND BANKING)
§ 372. Bankers’ acceptances
(a) Institutions; drafts and bills of exchange; types
Any member bank and any Federal or State branch or agency of a foreign bank subject to reserve requirements under section 3105 of this title (hereinafter in this section referred to as “institutions”), may accept drafts or bills of exchange drawn upon it having not more than six months’ sight to run, exclusive of days of grace—
(i) which grow out of transactions involving the importation or exportation of goods;
(ii) which grow out of transactions involving the domestic shipment of goods; or
(iii) which are secured at the time of acceptance by a warehouse receipt or other such document conveying or securing title covering readily marketable staples.
(b) Ratio limit of bills to unimpaired capital stock and surplus
Except as provided in subsection (c), no institution shall accept such bills, or be obligated for a participation share in such bills, in an amount equal at any time in the aggregate to more than 150 per centum of its paid up and unimpaired capital stock and surplus or, in the case of a United States branch or agency of a foreign bank, its dollar equivalent as determined by the Board under subsection (h).
(c) Authorization for special ratio limit; foreign banks
The Board, under such conditions as it may prescribe, may authorize, by regulation or order, any institution to accept such bills, or be obligated for a participation share in such bills, in an amount not exceeding at any time in the aggregate 200 per centum of its paid up and unimpaired capital stock and surplus or, in the case of a United States branch or agency of a foreign bank, its dollar equivalent as determined by the Board under subsection (h).
(d) Ratio limit for domestic transactions
Notwithstanding subsections (b) and (c), with respect to any institution, the aggregate acceptances, including obligations for a participation share in such acceptances, growing out of domestic transactions shall not exceed 50 per centum of the aggregate of all acceptances, including obligations for a participation share in such acceptances, authorized for such institution under this section.
(e) Ratio limit for single entity; foreign banks; security
No institution shall accept bills, or be obligated for a participation share in such bills, whether in a foreign or domestic transaction, for any one person, partnership, corporation, association or other entity in an amount equal at any time in the aggregate to more than 10 per centum of its paid up and unimpaired capital stock and surplus, or, in the case of a United States branch or agency of a foreign bank, its dollar equivalent as determined by the Board under subsection (h), unless the institution is secured either by attached documents or by some other actual security growing out of the same transaction as the acceptance.
(f) Exception for participation agreements
With respect to an institution which issues an acceptance, the limitations contained in this section shall not apply to that portion of an acceptance which is issued by such institution and which is covered by a participation agreement sold to another institution.
(g) Definitions by Board
In order to carry out the purposes of this section, the Board may define any of the terms used in this section, and, with respect to institutions which do not have capital or capital stock, the Board shall define an equivalent measure to which the limitations contained in this section shall apply.
(h) Dollar equivalent of foreign bank paid-up capital stock and surplus
Any limitation or restriction in this section based on paid-up and unimpaired capital stock and surplus of an institution shall be deemed to refer, with respect to a United States branch or agency of a foreign bank, to the dollar equivalent of the paid-up capital stock and surplus of the foreign bank, as determined by the Board, and if the foreign bank has more than one United States branch or agency, the business transacted by all such branches and agencies shall be aggregated in determining compliance with the limitation or restriction.
(Dec. 23, 1913, ch. 6, § 13 (par.), 38 Stat. 264; Mar. 3, 1915, ch. 93, 38 Stat. 958; Sept. 7, 1916, ch. 461, 39 Stat. 752; June 21, 1917, ch. 32, § 5, 40 Stat. 235; Aug. 23, 1935, ch. 614, title II, § 203(a), 49 Stat. 704; Pub. L. 97–290, title II, § 207, Oct. 8, 1982, 96 Stat. 1239.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: References in Text
text: Section 3105 of this title, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original a reference to section 7 of the International Banking Act of 1978, Pub. L. 95–369, Sept. 17, 1978, 92 Stat. 620, which enacted sections 347d and 3105 of this title.
heading: Codification
text: Section is comprised of the seventh par. of section 13 of act Dec. 23, 1913, as amended. The seventh par. constituted the fifth par. of section 13 in 1916 (39 Stat. 752), became the sixth par. in 1923 (42 Stat. 1478), and became the seventh par. in 1932 (47 Stat. 715). For further details, see Codification notes under sections 343 and 344 of this title. For classification to this title of other pars. of section 13, see Codification note set out under section 342 of this title.
The seventh par. of section 13 of the Federal Reserve Act [this section] as amended in 1982 by Pub. L. 97–290 contained lettered subpars. (A) through (H). For purposes of codification those lettered subpars. (A) through (H) have been translated as subsecs. (a) through (h), “paragraph” has been translated as “section”, and “subparagraph” has been translated as “subsection”.
heading: Amendments
text: 1982—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–290 designated first sentence of existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted reference to foreign banks and their subdivisions, further designated the specifications for drafts or bills as cl. (i)–(iii), and in cl. (ii) as so designated, struck out requirement that shipping documents conveying or securing title be attached at acceptance.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–290 designated second independent clause of second sentence of existing provisions as subsec. (b), substituted “no institution shall accept such bills, or be obligated for a participation share in such bills, in an amount equal at any time in the aggregate to more than 150 per centum of its paid up and unimpaired capital stock and surplus” for “no bank shall accept such bills to an amount equal at any time in the aggregate to more than one-half of its paid-up and unimpaired capital stock and surplus” and inserted provisions relating to a United States branch or agency of a foreign bank.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 97–290 designated first proviso of second sentence of existing provisions as subsec. (c), struck out provision applying the subsec. to all banks regardless of capital stock or surplus, substituted a limit of 200 per centum for 100 per centum, and inserted provisions relating to a United States branch or agency of a foreign bank.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–290 designated second proviso of second sentence of existing provisions as subsec. (d), substituted “Notwithstanding subsections (b) and (c), with respect to any institution, the aggregate acceptances, including obligations for a participation share in such acceptances, growing out of domestic transactions shall not exceed 50 per centum of the aggregate of all acceptances, including obligations for a participation share in such acceptances, authorized for such institution under this section.” for “Provided further, That the aggregate of acceptances growing out of domestic transactions shall in no event exceed 50 per centum of such capital stock and surplus.”
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 97–290 designated first independent clause of second sentence of existing provisions as subsec. (e), substituted “institution” for “member bank” and “bank” and “accept bills, or be obligated for a participation share in such bills, whether in a foreign or domestic transaction, for any one person, partnership, corporation, association or other entity in an amount” for “accept, whether in a foreign or domestic transaction, for any one person, company, firm, or corporation to an amount”, and inserted provisions relating to a United States branch or agency of a foreign bank.
Subsecs. (f) to (h). Pub. L. 97–290 added subsecs. (f) to (h).
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Change of Name
text: Section 203(a) of act Aug. 23, 1935, changed name of Federal Reserve Board to Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.