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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§2344 Methods of payment for acquisitions and transfers by the United States

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART IV— - SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROPERTY › Chapter CHAPTER 138— - COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH NATO ALLIES AND OTHER COUNTRIES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - ACQUISITION AND CROSS-SERVICING AGREEMENTS › § 2344

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States can get or give logistics help, supplies, and services by paying back costs, by replacing with the same items, or by swapping things of equal value. When the U.S. makes deals with NATO countries or other foreign governments where one side pays the other, the Secretary of Defense must push for fair, back-and-forth pricing. If a supplying country buys something from its contractors for another country, it should charge no more than it charges its own military for the same item, allowing for delivery differences. If supplies come from that country’s stock or its government people provide services, the price should match what it charges its own forces. If those pricing rules are not agreed to, U.S. forces may only buy after a commander checks and finds the price fair, and U.S. transfers to that country must follow U.S. export-pricing rules. The Secretary can also agree, on a reciprocal basis, to waive certain indirect or administrative charges. These rules also apply to NATO bodies, the United Nations, and regional international organizations. The Secretary may not trade for items the Department of Defense is forbidden to buy, any nuclear materials covered by the Atomic Energy Act, or chemical munitions.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §2344

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Logistics support, supplies, and services may be acquired or transferred by the United States under the authority of this subchapter on a reimbursement basis or by replacement-in-kind or exchange of supplies or services of an equal value.
(b)(1)In entering into agreements with the Government of another North Atlantic Treaty Organization country or other foreign country for the acquisition or transfer of logistic support, supplies, and services on a reimbursement basis, the Secretary of Defense shall negotiate for adoption of the following pricing principles for reciprocal application:
(A)The price charged by a supplying country for logistics support, supplies, and services specifically procured by the supplying country from its contractors for a recipient country shall be no less favorable than the price for identical items or services charged by such contractors to the armed forces of the supplying country, taking into account price differentials due to delivery schedules, points of delivery, and other similar considerations.
(B)The price charged a recipient country for supplies furnished by a supplying country from its inventory, and the price charged a recipient country for logistics support and services furnished by the officers, employees, or governmental agencies of a supplying country, shall be the same as the price charged for identical supplies, support, or services acquired by an armed force of the supplying country from such governmental sources.
(2)To the extent that the Secretary of Defense is unable to obtain mutual acceptance by the other country involved of the reciprocal pricing principles for reimbursable transactions set forth in paragraph (1)—
(A)the United States may not acquire from such country any logistic support, supply, or service not governed by such reciprocal pricing principles unless the United States forces commander acquiring such support, supply, or service determines (after price analysis) that the price thereof is fair and reasonable; and
(B)transfers by the United States to such country under this subchapter of any logistic support, supply, or service that is not governed by such reciprocal pricing principles shall be subject to the pricing provisions of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.).
(3)To the extent that indirect costs (including charges for plant and production equipment), administrative surcharges, and contract administration costs with respect to any North Atlantic Treaty Organization country or other foreign country are not waived by operation of the reciprocal pricing principles of paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense may, on a reciprocal basis, agree to waive such costs.
(4)The pricing principles set forth in paragraph (2) and the waiver authority provided in paragraph (3) shall also apply to agreements with North Atlantic Treaty Organization subsidiary bodies and the United Nations Organization or any regional international organization under this subchapter.
(c)In acquiring or transferring logistics support, supplies, or services under the authority of this subchapter by exchange of supplies or services, the Secretary of Defense may not agree to or carry out the following:
(1)Transfers in exchange for property the acquisition of which by the Department of Defense is prohibited by law.
(2)Transfers of source, byproduct, or special nuclear materials or any other material, article, data, or thing of value the transfer of which is subject to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
(3)Transfers of chemical munitions.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Arms Export Control Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(B), is Pub. L. 90–629, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1320, as amended, which is classified principally to chapter 39 (§ 2751 et seq.) of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2751 of Title 22 and Tables. The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), is act Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, as added by act Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 919, which is classified principally to chapter 23 (§ 2011 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2011 of Title 42 and Tables.

Amendments

2006—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 109–163 struck out “of which the United States is a member” before “under this subchapter”. 1994—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 103–337 inserted “and the United Nations Organization or any regional international organization of which the United States is a member” after “subsidiary bodies”. 1991—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–25 substituted “subchapter” for “chapter” in introductory provisions. 1989—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–189, §§ 931(e)(1), 938(a), substituted “equal value” for “identical or substantially identical nature” and “this subchapter” for “this chapter”. Subsec. (b)(2)(B), (4). Pub. L. 101–189, § 931(e)(1), substituted “this subchapter” for “this chapter”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 101–189, § 938(b), added subsec. (c). 1986—Subsec. (b)(1), (3). Pub. L. 99–661 inserted “or other foreign country” after “country”. 1985—Pub. L. 99–145 renumbered section 2324 of this title as this section. 1981—Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 97–22 substituted “this chapter” for “this Act”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–337 applicable with regard to any acquisition or transfer of logistic support, supplies, and services under authority of this subchapter that is initiated after Oct. 5, 1994, see section 1317(j) of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as a note under section 2341 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 2344

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73