Commerce Law and Legal Definition
In commercial law, commerce mans the exchange or buying and selling of goods on a wide scale, involving moving goods from place to place. Congress has broad powers to regulate interstate commerce.
Interstate commerce is regulated by the federal government as authorized under Article I of the U.S. Constitution. The federal government can also regulate commerce within a state when it may impact interstate movement of goods and services and may strike down state actions which are barriers to such movement.
Historically, interstate commerce was regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission (I.C.C.) under authority granted by the Interstate Commerce Act, first enacted by Congress in 1887. However, most ICC control over interstate trucking was abandoned in 1994, and the agency was terminated at the end of 1995. Many of its remaining functions were transferred to the new National Surface Transportation Board.
