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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§8679 Construction of vessels in foreign shipyards: prohibition

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle C— - Navy and Marine Corps › Part PART IV— - GENERAL ADMINISTRATION › Chapter CHAPTER 863— - NAVAL VESSELS › § 8679

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

U.S. military ships and any major parts of their hull or superstructure must not be built in foreign shipyards. The President can allow an exception if it is needed for national security, but must tell Congress first, and no contract under that exception can be made until 30 days after Congress receives the notice. Inflatable boats and rigid inflatable boats, as defined by the Secretary of the Navy, are not considered "vessels" for this rule.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §8679

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as provided in subsection (b), no vessel to be constructed for any of the armed forces, and no major component of the hull or superstructure of any such vessel, may be constructed in a foreign shipyard.
(b)(1)The President may authorize exceptions to the prohibition in subsection (a) when the President determines that it is in the national security interest of the United States to do so.
(2)The President shall transmit notice to Congress of any such determination, and no contract may be made pursuant to the exception authorized until the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the notice of the determination is received by Congress.
(c)An inflatable boat or a rigid inflatable boat, as defined by the Secretary of the Navy, is not a vessel for the purpose of the restriction in subsection (a).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 7309 of this title as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Executive Documents

Delegation of Authority For delegation of authority of President under subsec. (b) of this section, see section 3 of Ex. Ord. No. 12765, June 11, 1991, 56 F.R. 27401, set out as a note under section 113 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 8679

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73