The neutrality acts of 1937 and 1939 prohibited trading with any nation that was participating in a war. due to president roosevelt's efforts, however, the acts granted that a nation could trade with the u. s. if

One of the major exceptions from the neutrality acts of 1937 and 1939 was that the nation could trade with the United States provided, the nation was defending its territories against the foreign invaders. The neutrality of the US would be long as Germany and Japan already declared war to them.