United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

United States v. Sisal Sales Corporation, 274 U.S. 268 (1927)

United States v. Sisal Sales Corporation

No. 200

Argued March 9, 1927

Decided May 16, 1927

274 U.S. 268

Syllabus

1. A combination, entered into by parties within the United States and made effective by acts done therein, to monopolize the supply abroad, and the domestic stock, of an article of commerce produced only in a foreign country, monopolize and control its importation and sales, destroy competition, and arbitrarily advance and fix prices and make other unreasonable exaction of purchasers, is in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and of § 73 of the Wilson Tariff Act, as amended February 12, 1913. P. 274 U. S. 274.

2. The fact that their control of the production was aided by discriminatory legislation of the foreign country does not prevent punishment of the forbidden results of the conspiracy, within the United States. American Banana Co. v. United Fruit Co., 213 U. S. 347, distinguished. P. 274 U. S. 275.

Reversed.

Appeal from a decree of the district court dismissing, on motion equivalent to a demurrer, a bill by the United States to enjoin an alleged combination and conspiracy to monopolize the importation and sale in the United States of sisal -- a fiber which is used for the manufacture of binder twine and which is produced in Yucatan almost exclusively.

Page 274 U. S. 271