Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§2799b Authorities

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 39— - ARMS EXPORT CONTROL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IX— - TRANSFER OF CERTAIN CFE TREATY-LIMITED EQUIPMENT TO NATO MEMBERS › § 2799b

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President may give or move to any NATO/CFE country U.S. battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, or artillery that match the CFE Treaty’s types, that were in Defense Department stocks on the treaty’s signing date and were located inside the treaty area, and that the President decides are not needed by U.S. forces there. These items can be transferred free to the recipient. For the rules in sections 2753(a)(2), 2753(a)(3), 2753(c), and 2753(d), such transfers are treated as if they were sales. The United States may use NATO or any NATO/CFE country’s services (like inspection, repair, or transport) or funds to avoid direct costs and to meet CFE destruction duties. The President must make sure U.S. transfers, together with other countries’ transfers, keep the military balance in the Eastern Mediterranean per section 2373. The transfer authority ends 40 months after the CFE Treaty takes effect unless a notice under section 2799c(a) is filed before that time.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §2799b

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The President may transfer to any NATO/CFE country, in accordance with NATO plans, defense articles—
(1)that are battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, or artillery included within the CFE Treaty’s definition of “conventional armaments and equipment limited by the Treaty”;
(2)that were, as of the date of signature of the CFE Treaty, in the stocks of the Department of Defense and located in the CFE Treaty’s area of application; and
(3)that the President determines are not needed by United States military forces within the CFE Treaty’s area of application.
(b)In order to eliminate direct costs of facilitating transfers of defense articles under subsection (a), the United States may utilize services provided by NATO or any NATO/CFE country, including inspection, repair, or transportation services with respect to defense articles so transferred.
(c)In order to facilitate United States compliance with the CFE Treaty-mandated obligations for destruction of conventional armaments and equipment limited by the CFE Treaty, the United States may utilize services or funds provided by NATO or any NATO/CFE country.
(d)Defense articles may be transferred under subsection (a) without cost to the recipient country.
(e)For purposes of section 2753(a)(2), 2753(a)(3), 2753(c), and 2753(d) of this title, defense articles transferred under subsection (a) shall be deemed to have been sold under this chapter.
(f)The President shall ensure that transfers by the United States under subsection (a), taken together with transfers by other NATO/CFE countries in implementing the CFE Treaty, are of such valuations so as to be consistent with the United States policy, embodied in section 2373 of this title, of maintaining the military balance in the Eastern Mediterranean.
(g)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), the authority of subsection (a) expires at the end of the 40-month period beginning on the date on which the CFE Treaty enters into force.
(2)Paragraph (1) does not apply with respect to a transfer of defense articles for which notification under section 2799c(a) of this title is submitted before the end of the period described in that paragraph.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (e), 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.

Executive Documents

Delegation of Functions Memorandum of President of the United States, Feb. 13, 1992, 57 F.R. 6663, provided: Memorandum for the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code, I hereby delegate to the Secretary of Defense the functions vested in me by section 93(a) and section 94 of the Arms Export Control Act, as amended (the “Act”) [22 U.S.C. 2799b(a), 2799c], and to the Secretary of State the functions vested in me by section 93(f) of the Act. Consistent with section 2 of the Act [22 U.S.C. 2752], transfers of defense articles under section 93(a) shall be subject to the policy direction of the Secretary of State, including the determination of whether such transfers shall occur. The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. George Bush.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 2799b

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73