All information obtained from such books, records or reports shall be kept confidential by all officers and employees of the Department of Agriculture and of the Cotton Board, and only such information so furnished or acquired as the Secretary deems relevant shall be disclosed by them, and then only in a suit or administrative hearing brought at the direction, or upon the request, of the Secretary of Agriculture, or to which the Secretary or any officer of the United States is a party, and involving this subpart. Nothing in this § 1205.340 shall be deemed to prohibit:

(a) The issuance of general statements based upon the reports of a number of handlers or importers subject to this subpart or importers of de minimis amounts of cotton, which statements do not identify the information furnished by any person, or

(b) The publication by the direction of the Secretary, of the name of any person violating this subpart, together with a statement of the particular provisions of this subpart violated by such person.