1995 U.S. Code
Title 22 - FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE
CHAPTER 39 - ARMS EXPORT CONTROL
SUBCHAPTER I - FOREIGN AND NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY OBJECTIVES AND RESTRAINTS
Sec. 2753 - Eligibility for defense services or defense articles

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§2753. Eligibility for defense services or defense articles (a) Prerequisites for consent by President; report to Congress

No defense article or defense service shall be sold or leased by the United States Government under this chapter to any country or international organization, and no agreement shall be entered into for a cooperative project (as defined in section 2767 of this title), unless—

(1) the President finds that the furnishing of defense articles and defense services to such country or international organization will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace;

(2) the country or international organization shall have agreed not to transfer title to, or possession of, any defense article or related training or other defense service so furnished to it, or produced in a cooperative project (as defined in section 2767 of this title), to anyone not an officer, employee, or agent of that country or international organization (or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or the specified member countries (other than the United States) in the case of a cooperative project) and not to use or permit the use of such article or related training or other defense service for purposes other than those for which furnished unless the consent of the President has first been obtained:

(3) the country or international organization shall have agreed that it will maintain the security of such article or service and will provide substantially the same degree of security protection afforded to such article or service by the United States Government; and

(4) the country or international organization is otherwise eligible to purchase or lease defense articles or defense services.

In considering a request for approval of any transfer of any weapon, weapons system, munitions, aircraft, military boat, military vessel, or other implement of war to another country, the President shall not give his consent under paragraph (2) to the transfer unless the United States itself would transfer the defense article under consideration to that country. In addition, the President shall not give his consent under paragraph (2) to the transfer of any significant defense articles on the United States Munitions List unless the foreign country requesting consent to transfer agrees to demilitarize such defense articles prior to transfer, or the proposed recipient foreign country provides a commitment in writing to the United States Government that it will not transfer such defense articles, if not demilitarized, to any other foreign country or person without first obtaining the consent of the President. The President shall promptly submit a report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate on the implementation of each agreement entered into pursuant to clause (2) of this subsection.

(b) Repealed. Pub. L. 95–92, §15, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 622 (c) Termination of credits, guaranties or sales; report of violation by President; national security exception; conditions for reinstatement

(1)(A) No credits (including participations in credits) may be issued and no guaranties may be extended for any foreign country under this chapter as hereinafter provided, if such country uses defense articles or defense services furnished under this chapter, or any predecessor Act, in substantial violation (either in terms of quantities or in terms of the gravity of the consequences regardless of the quantities involved) of any agreement entered into pursuant to any such Act (i) by using such articles or services for a purpose not authorized under section 2754 of this title or, if such agreement provides that such articles or services may only be used for purposes more limited than those authorized under section 2754 of this title for a purpose not authorized under such agreement; (ii) by transferring such articles or services to, or permitting any use of such articles or services by, anyone not an officer, employee, or agent of the recipient country without the consent of the President; or (iii) by failing to maintain the security of such articles or services.

(B) No cash sales or deliveries pursuant to previous sales may be made with respect to any foreign country under this chapter as hereinafter provided, if such country uses defense articles or defense services furnished under this chapter, or any predecessor Act, in substantial violation (either in terms of quantity or in terms of the gravity of the consequences regardless of the quantities involved) of any agreement entered into pursuant to any such Act by using such articles or services for a purpose not authorized under section 2754 of this title or, if such agreement provides that such articles or services may only be used for purposes more limited than those authorized under section 2754 of this title, for a purpose not authorized under such agreement.

(2) The President shall report to the Congress promptly upon the receipt of information that a violation described in paragraph (1) of this subsection may have occurred.

(3)(A) A country shall be deemed to be ineligible under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of this subsection, or both subparagraphs (A) and (B) of such paragraph in the case of a violation described in both such paragraphs, if the President so determines and so reports in writing to the Congress, or if the Congress so determines by joint resolution.

(B) Notwithstanding a determination by the President of ineligibility under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of this subsection, cash sales and deliveries pursuant to previous sales may be made if the President certifies in writing to the Congress that a termination thereof would have significant adverse impact on United States security, unless the Congress adopts or has adopted a joint resolution pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph with respect to such ineligibility.

(4) A country shall remain ineligible in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection until such time as—

(A) the President determines that the violation has ceased; and

(B) the country concerned has given assurances satisfactory to the President that such violation will not recur.

(d) Submission of written certification to Congress; contents; classified material; effective date of consent; report to Congress; transfers not subject to procedures

(1) The President may not give his consent under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this section or under the third sentence of such subsection, or under section 2314(a)(1) or 2314(a)(4) of this title, to a transfer of any major defense equipment valued (in terms of its original acquisition cost) at ,000,000 or more, or any defense article or related training or other defense service valued (in terms of its original acquisition cost) at ,000,000 or more, unless the President submits to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a written certification with respect to such proposed transfer containing—

(A) the name of the country or international organization proposing to make such transfer,

(B) a description of the article or service proposed to be transferred, including its acquisition cost,

(C) the name of the proposed recipient of such article or service,

(D) the reasons for such proposed transfer, and

(E) the date on which such transfer is proposed to be made.

Any certification submitted to Congress pursuant to this paragraph shall be unclassified, except that information regarding the dollar value and number of articles or services proposed to be transferred may be classified if public disclosure thereof would be clearly detrimental to the security of the United States.

(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), unless the President states in the certification submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection that an emergency exists which requires that consent to the proposed transfer become effective immediately in the national security interests of the United States, such consent shall not become effective until 30 calendar days after the date of such submission and such consent shall become effective then only if the Congress does not enact, within such 30-day period, a joint resolution, as provided for in sections 2776(b)(2) and 2776(b)(3) of this title prohibiting the proposed transfer.

(B) In the case of a proposed transfer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or any member country of such Organization, Japan, Australia, or New Zealand, unless the President states in the certification submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection that an emergency exists which requires that consent to the proposed transfer become effective immediately in the national security interests of the United States, such consent shall not become effective until fifteen calendar days after the date of such submission and such consent shall become effective then only if the Congress does not enact, within such fifteen-day period, a law prohibiting the proposed transfer.

(3) The President may not give his consent to the transfer of any major defense equipment valued (in terms of its original acquisition cost) at ,000,000 or more, or of any defense article or defense service valued (in terms of its original acquisition cost) at ,000,000 or more, the export of which has been licensed or approved under section 2778 of this title, unless at least 30 calendar days before giving such consent the President submits to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report containing the information specified in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1). Such consent shall become effective then only if the Congress does not enact, within a 30-day period, a joint resolution, as provided for in sections 2776(c)(2) and 2776(c)(3) of this title prohibiting the proposed transfer.

(4) This subsection shall not apply—

(A) to transfers of maintenance, repair, or overhaul defense services, or of the repair parts or other defense articles used in furnishing such services, if the transfer will not result in any increase, relative to the original specifications, in the military capability of the defense articles and services to be maintained, repaired, or overhauled;

(B) to temporary transfers of defense articles for the sole purpose of receiving maintenance, repair, or overhaul; or

(C) to arrangements among members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and any of its member countries—

(i) for cooperative cross servicing, or

(ii) for lead-nation procurement if the certification transmitted to the Congress pursuant to section 2776(b) of this title with regard to such lead-nation procurement identified the transferees on whose behalf the lead-nation procurement was proposed.

(e) Transfers without consent of President; report to Congress

If the President receives any information that a transfer of any defense article, or related training or other defense service, has been made without his consent as required under this section or under section 2314 of this title, he shall report such information immediately to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

(f) Sales and leases to countries in breach of nuclear nonproliferation agreements and treaties

No sales or leases shall be made to any country that the President has determined is in material breach of its binding commitments to the United States under international treaties or agreements concerning the nonproliferation of nuclear explosive devices (as defined in section 830(4) of the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1994) and unsafeguarded special nuclear material (as defined in section 830(8) of that Act).

(Pub. L. 90–629, ch. 1, §3, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1322; Pub. L. 91–672, §1, Jan. 12, 1971, 84 Stat. 2053; Pub. L. 93–189, §25(2), Dec. 17, 1973, 87 Stat. 729; Pub. L. 93–559, §45(a)(1), Dec. 30, 1974, 88 Stat. 1813; Pub. L. 94–329, title II, §§203(a), 204(a), (b)(1), title III, §304(b), June 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 735, 736, 754, 755; Pub. L. 95–92, §§15–18, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 622; Pub. L. 96–92, §11, Oct. 29, 1979, 93 Stat. 705; Pub. L. 96–533, title I, §101, Dec. 16, 1980, 94 Stat. 3131; Pub. L. 97–113, title I, §§101(a), 102(a), 109(b)(2), Dec. 29, 1981, 95 Stat. 1519, 1520, 1526; Pub. L. 99–83, title I, §115(b)(2), title V, §503(b), Aug. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 201, 221; Pub. L. 99–145, title XI, §1102(a)(3), (5), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 710; Pub. L. 99–247, §1(a), Feb. 12, 1986, 100 Stat. 9; Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title XIII, §1342(e), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3991; Pub. L. 100–461, title V, §577, Oct. 1, 1988, 102 Stat. 2268–45; Pub. L. 101–222, §2(b), Dec. 12, 1989, 103 Stat. 1896; Pub. L. 103–236, title VIII, §822(a)(1), Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 511.)

Amendment of Section

For termination of amendment by section 851 of Pub. L. 103–236, see Effective and Termination Dates of 1994 Amendment note below.

References in Text

Section 830 of the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1994, referred to in subsec. (f), is section 830 of Pub. L. 103–236 which is set out in the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention; Effective and Termination Dates of 1994 Amendment note under section 3201 of this title.

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 103–236 temporarily added subsec. (f). See Effective and Termination Dates of 1994 Amendment note below.

1989—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 101–222 struck out subsec. (f) which directed termination of sales under this chapter to countries granting sanctuary to international terrorists. See section 2780 of this title.

1988—Subsec. (d)(2)(A). Pub. L. 100–461, §577(1), substituted “joint resolution, as provided for in sections 2776(b)(2) and 2776(b)(3) of this title” for “law”.

Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 100–461, §577(2), inserted at end “Such consent shall become effective then only if the Congress does not enact, within a 30-day period, a joint resolution, as provided for in sections 2776(c)(2) and 2776(c)(3) of this title prohibiting the proposed transfer.”

1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–661 repealed section 1102(a)(3) of Pub. L. 99–145 and the amendments made by that section, and provided that this section shall apply as if that section had never been enacted. See 1985 Amendments note below.

Subsec. (d)(2)(A). Pub. L. 99–247, §1(a)(1), substituted “enact, within such 30-day period, a law prohibiting” for “adopt, within such 30-day period, a concurrent resolution disapproving”.

Subsec. (d)(2)(B). Pub. L. 99–247, §1(a)(2), substituted “enact, within such fifteen-day period, a law prohibiting” for “adopt, within such fifteen-day period, a concurrent resolution disapproving”.

1985—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–83, §115(b)(2), in introductory text and in par. (2) inserted provisions relating to cooperative projects, and in par. (3) inserted “or service” after “such article” in two places.

Pub. L. 99–145, §1102(a)(3), which enacted amendments similar to those provided in Pub. L. 99–83, §115(b)(2), was repealed. See 1986 Amendments note above and former section 1105(a)(5) of Pub. L. 99–145 set out as a Repeals; Effective Date note under section 2752 of this title.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 99–83, §503(b), struck out “, credits, and guaranties” and “, credits, or guaranties” wherever appearing in pars. (1) and (2).

1981—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–113, §109(b)(2), substituted in introductory text “sold or leased” for “sold”, and in par. (4) “purchase or lease” for “purchase”.

Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 97–113, §101(a)(1), substituted in introductory text “, or under section 2314(a)(1) or 2314(a)(4) of this title, to a transfer of any major defense equipment valued (in terms of its original acquisition cost) at ,000,000 or more, or any defense article or related training or other defense service valued (in terms of its original acquisition cost) at ,000,000 or more,” for “to a transfer of a defense article, or related training or other defense service, sold under this chapter and may not give his consent to such a transfer under section 2314(a)(1) or (a)(4) of this title”, in subpar. (B) “a description of the article or service proposed to be transferred, including its acquisition cost” for “a description of the defense article or related training or other defense service proposed to be transferred, including the original acquisition cost of such defense article or related training or other defense service”, in subpar. (C) “article or service” for “defense article or related training or other defense service”, and in provision following subpar. (E) “articles or services” for “defense articles, or related training or other defense services,”.

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 97–113, §102(a), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), substituted “Except as provided in subparagraph (B), unless” for “Unless”, and added subpar. (B).

Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 97–113, §101(a)(2), substituted “transfer of any major defense equipment valued (in terms of its original acquisition cost) at ,000,000 or more, or of any defense article or defense service valued (in terms of its original acquisition cost) at ,000,000 or more” for “transfer to a third country of a defense article or a defense service valued (in terms of its original acquisition costs) at ,000,000 or more, or of major defense equipment valued (in terms of its original acquisition costs) at ,000,000 or more”.

Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 97–113, §101(a)(3), struck out subpar. (D), which provided that subsec. (d) of this section not apply to transfers to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, any member country of such organization, Japan, Australia, or New Zealand, of any major defense equipment valued (in terms of its original acquisition cost) at less than ,000,000 or of any defense article or related training or other defense service valued (in terms of its original acquisition cost) at less than ,000,000.

1980—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 96–533, §101(a)(2)(A), substituted “pursuant to this paragraph” for “pursuant to this subsection”.

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 96–533, §101(a)(2)(B), substituted “paragraph (1) of this subsection” for “this subsection”.

Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 96–533, §101(a)(1)(B), added par. (3). Former par. (3) redesignated (4).

Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 96–533, §101(a)(1)(A), (b), redesignated former par. (3) as (4) and, in par (4) as so redesignated, added subpar. (D).

1979—Subsec. (d)(3)(C). Pub. L. 96–92 made subsec. (d) of this section inapplicable to arrangements between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and any of its member countries, incorporated existing text in provisions designated cl. (i) and added cl. (ii).

1977—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–92, §15, struck out subsec. (b) which related to prohibitions on sales, etc., to countries seizing or fining American fishing vessels for fishing in waters more than twelve miles from their coastlines.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 95–92, §§16, 17, redesignated existing provisions as par. (1), struck out “, 30 days prior to giving such consent,” before “the President submits”, redesignated pars. (1) to (5) as subpars. (A) to (E), respectively, and added pars. (2) and (3).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 95–92, §18, added subsec. (f).

1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–329, §§203(a), 204(b)(1), inserted in par. (2) “or related training or other defense service” after “article” wherever appearing and struck out provisions following par. (4) relating to the President's notification of his consent to transfer war implements to another country, in writing, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate indicating his justification for the transfer and the particular war implement transferred.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–329, §304(b)(1), provided that the President, by so stating in writing to Congress, or Congress, by joint resolution, terminate credits, guaranties or sales upon determining a violation, permitted cash sales and deliveries pursuant to previous sales to be made if the President certifies in writing to Congress that termination thereof would be adverse to national security unless Congress adopts or has adopted a joint resolution determining such eligibility, and specified conditions for reinstatement of eligibility.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 94–329, §§204(a), 304(b)(2), added subsec. (d). Former subsec. (d), which related to conditions for reinstatement after a determination of ineligibility, was repealed and is now covered by subsec. (c).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 94–329, §§204(a), 304(b)(2), added subsec. (e).

1974—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 93–559 struck out first sentence provision respecting furnishing of sophisticated weapons to countries in violation of agreements pursuant to subsec. (a)(2) of this section, section 2314(a) of this title, or other similar provisions and substituted “in accordance with subsection (c) of this section” for “in accordance with this subsection”.

1973—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–189, §25(2)(A)–(C), in par. (2) inserted requirement not to use or permit the use of such articles for purposes other than those for which furnished, redesignated former par. (3) as (4), added a new par. (3), and following par. (4), as so redesignated, inserted provisions relating to Presidential consideration of requests prior to consent under par. (2).

Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 93–189, §25(2)(D), added subsecs. (c) and (d).

1971—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 91–672 extended the retaliatory measures against countries seizing, taking custody or fining American vessels for fishing outside of twelve miles of their coast, to sales, credits, guaranties, and laid down a period of one year as the extent of such prohibition, and added assurances of future restraint received from such countries as an additional ground for waiver, and provided exception that the prohibition will not apply in cases governed by international agreements to which the United States is a party.

Effective and Termination Dates of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–236 effective 60 days after Apr. 30, 1994, and ceases to be effective and is repealed on date of enactment of first Foreign Relations Authorization Act enacted after Apr. 30, 1994, and any provision repealed by that amendment shall be reenacted, see sections 831 and 851 of Pub. L. 103–236, set out in the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention; Effective and Termination Dates of 1994 Amendment note under section 3201 of this title.

Effective Date of 1985 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 99–83 effective Oct. 1, 1985, see section 1301 of Pub. L. 99–83, set out as a note under section 2151–1 of this title.

Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Section 203(a) of Pub. L. 94–329 provided that the amendment made by that section is effective July 1, 1976.

Delegation of Functions

Functions of President under this section, except subsecs. (a)(1), (b), (c)(3), (4), and (f), delegated to Secretary of State, with Secretary authorized to make certain findings under subsec. (a)(1) in implementing functions delegated under subsecs. (a) and (d), by section 1(a) of Ex. Ord. No. 11958, Jan. 18, 1977, 42 F.R. 4311, as amended, set out as a note under section 2751 of this title.

Eligibility of Baltic States for Nonlethal Defense Articles

Pub. L. 102–511, title IX, §906, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3356, provided that:

“(a) Eligibility.—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania shall each be eligible—

“(1) to purchase, or to receive financing for the purchase of, nonlethal defense articles—

“(A) under the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.), without regard to section 3(a)(1) of that Act [22 U.S.C. 2753(a)(1)], or

“(B) under section 503 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2311), without regard to the requirement in subsection (a) of that section for a Presidential finding; and

“(2) to receive nonlethal excess defense articles transferred under section 519 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2321m), without regard to the restrictions in subsection (a) of that section.

“(b) Definitions.—As used in this section—

“(1) the term ‘defense article’ has the same meaning given to that term in section 47(3) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2794(3)); and

“(2) the term ‘excess defense article’ has the same meaning given to that term in section 644(g) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2403(g)).”

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 2765, 2776, 2780, 2799b, 3281 of this title; title 10 section 4542.