(a) Authority. This subpart is issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) under the authority of the Federal Reserve Act (FRA) (12 U.S.C. 221 et seq.); the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (BHC Act) (12 U.S.C. 1841 et seq.); and the International Banking Act of 1978 (IBA) (12 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.).

(b) Purpose. This subpart sets out rules governing the international and foreign activities of U.S. banking organizations, including procedures for establishing foreign branches and Edge and agreement corporations to engage in international banking, and for investments in foreign organizations.

(c) Scope. This subpart applies to:

(1) Member banks with respect to their foreign branches and investments in foreign banks under section 25 of the FRA (12 U.S.C. 601-604a);1 and

(2) Corporations organized under section 25A of the FRA (12 U.S.C. 611-631) (Edge corporations);

(3) Corporations having an agreement or undertaking with the Board under section 25 of the FRA (12 U.S.C. 601-604a) (agreement corporations); and

(4) Bank holding companies with respect to the exemption from the nonbanking prohibitions of the BHC Act afforded by section 4(c)(13) of that act (12 U.S.C. 1843(c)(13)).