Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§2794 Definitions

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 39— - ARMS EXPORT CONTROL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - GENERAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS › § 2794

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used in the chapter on U.S. defense sales and assistance. Excess defense article — means what section 2403(g) says. Value — for an excess defense article, except as section 2761(a) says, must be at least the higher of the U.S. repair/rehab/modify cost plus scrap value or the market value if you can find it. Defense article — except as paragraph (7) allows, covers weapons, military systems, parts, and anything used to make, support, operate, store, or transport those items. Defense service — except as paragraph (7) allows, covers services like testing, repairs, training, technical help, publications, and defense information (see section 2403(e)), but not design and construction services under section 2769. Training — includes formal or informal instruction by U.S. personnel or contractors, courses, media, training aids, exercises, and military advice to foreign forces. Major defense equipment — items on the U.S. Munitions List with nonrecurring R&D costs over $50,000,000 or total production costs over $200,000,000. Defense articles and defense services (commercial exports) — means the items the President names under section 2778(a)(1). Design and construction services — for sales under section 2769, means building real-property facilities and the needed equipment, engineering, construction management, and related technical advice by the Department of Defense or its contractors. Significant military equipment — articles that need special export controls because they have substantial military use and that are listed on the U.S. Munitions List. Weapons of mass destruction — has the meaning given in section 2302(1) of title 50. Sales territory — a country or group of countries where a defense article or defense service is allowed to be reexported.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §2794

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For purposes of this chapter, the term—
(1)“excess defense article” has the meaning provided by section 2403(g) of this title;
(2)“value” means, in the case of an excess defense article, except as otherwise provided in section 2761(a) of this title, not less than the greater of—
(A)the gross cost incurred by the United States Government in repairing, rehabilitating, or modifying such article, plus the scrap value; or
(B)the market value, if ascertainable;
(3)“defense article”, except as provided in paragraph (7) of this section, means, with respect to a sale or transfer by the United States under the authority of this chapter or any other foreign assistance or sales program of the United States—
(A)any weapon, weapons system, munition, aircraft, vessel, boat, or other implement of war,
(B)any property, installation, commodity, material, equipment, supply, or goods used for the purposes of making military sales,
(C)any machinery, facility, tool, material, supply, or other item necessary for the manufacture, production, processing, repair, servicing, storage, construction, transportation, operation, or use of any article listed in this paragraph, and
(D)any component or part of any article listed in this paragraph,
(4)“defense service”, except as provided in paragraph (7) of this section, means, with respect to a sale or transfer by the United States under the authority of this chapter or any other foreign assistance or sales program of the United States, any service, test, inspection, repair, training, publication, technical or other assistance, or defense information (as defined in section 2403(e) of this title), used for the purposes of making military sales, but does not include design and construction services under section 2769 of this title;
(5)“training” includes formal or informal instruction of foreign students in the United States or overseas by officers or employees of the United States, contract technicians, or contractors (including instruction at civilian institutions), or by correspondence courses, technical, educational, or information publications and media of all kinds, training aid, orientation, training exercise, and military advice to foreign military units and forces;
(6)“major defense equipment” means any item of significant military equipment on the United States Munitions List having a nonrecurring research and development cost of more than $50,000,000 or a total production cost of more than $200,000,000;
(7)“defense articles and defense services” means, with respect to commercial exports subject to the provisions of section 2778 of this title, those items designated by the President pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of such section;
(8)“design and construction services” means, with respect to sales under section 2769 of this title, the design and construction of real property facilities, including necessary construction equipment and materials, engineering services, construction contract management services relating thereto, and technical advisory assistance in the operation and maintenance of real property facilities provided or performed by any department or agency of the Department of Defense or by a contractor pursuant to a contract with such department or agency;
(9)“significant military equipment” means articles—
(A)for which special export controls are warranted because of the capacity of such articles for substantial military utility or capability; and
(B)identified on the United States Munitions List;
(10)“weapons of mass destruction” has the meaning provided by section 2302(1) of title 50; and
(11)“Sales territory” means a country or group of countries to which a defense article or defense service is authorized to be reexported.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 90–629, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1321, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 2751 of this title and Tables. The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, referred to in par. (3), 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

2014—Par. (2). Pub. L. 113–276, § 208(b)(1)(B), substituted “2761(a) of this title,” for “2761(a) of this title,,” in introductory provisions. Par. (3). Pub. L. 113–276, § 207(1), in introductory provisions, substituted “means, with respect to a sale or transfer by the United States under the authority of this chapter or any other foreign assistance or sales program of the United States—” for “includes—”. Par. (4). Pub. L. 113–276, § 207(2), substituted “means, with respect to a sale or transfer by the United States under the authority of this chapter or any other foreign assistance or sales program of the United States,” for “includes”. 2002—Par. (10). Pub. L. 107–228, § 1202(b), added par. (10). Par. (11). Pub. L. 107–228, § 1405(a)(4), added par. (11). 1996—Par. (9). Pub. L. 104–164 added par. (9). 1985—Par. (2). Pub. L. 99–83, § 107(b), inserted “, except as otherwise provided in section 2761(a) of this title,”. Par. (6). Pub. L. 99–83, § 1211(b)(3), substituted “military” for “combat”. 1980—Par. (4). Pub. L. 96–533, § 105(f)(1), excluded from term “defense service” design and

Construction

services under section 2769 of this title. Par. (8). Pub. L. 96–533, § 105(f)(2)–(4), added par. (8). 1979—Par. (3). Pub. L. 96–92 defined “defense article” to include uranium depleted in the isotope 235 which is incorporated in defense articles solely to take advantage of high density or pyrophoric characteristics unrelated to radioactivity. 1976—Pars. (3) to (7). Pub. L. 94–329 added pars. (3) to (7).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1985 AmendmentAmendment 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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 2794

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73