§2489 — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

§2489 Overseas Commissary and Exchange Stores: Access and Purchase Restrictions

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— General Military Law › Part IV— SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROPERTY › Chapter 147— COMMISSARIES AND EXCHANGES AND OTHER MORALE, WELFARE, AND RECREATION ACTIVITIES › Subchapter II— RELATIONSHIP, CONTINUATION, AND COMMON POLICIES OF DEFENSE COMMISSARY AND EXCHANGE SYSTEMS › § 2489

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense can limit what or how much eligible customers may buy at commissary and exchange stores outside the United States to stop resale that would violate U.S. treaty obligations or the host country’s laws, as long as those local laws don’t conflict with U.S. law. Any limits must apply the same to all eligible customers and still allow them reasonable access to buy U.S.-made items.

Title 10, §2489

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Defense may establish restrictions on the ability of eligible patrons of commissary and exchange stores located outside of the United States to purchase certain merchandise items (or the quantity of certain merchandise items) otherwise included within an authorized merchandise category if the Secretary determines that such restrictions are necessary to prevent the resale of such merchandise in violation of treaty obligations of the United States or host nation laws (to the extent such laws are not inconsistent with United States laws).

(b)In establishing a quantity or other restriction, the Secretary—

(1)may not discriminate among the various categories of eligible patrons of the commissary and exchange system; and

(2)shall ensure that the restriction is consistent with the purpose of the overseas commissary and exchange system to provide reasonable access for eligible patrons to purchase merchandise items made in the United States.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 2489 was renumbered section 2495a of this title. A prior section 2489a was renumbered section 2495b of this title. A prior section 2490 was renumbered section 2868 of this title. A prior section 2490a was renumbered section 2488 of this title. Another prior section 2490a was renumbered section 2783 of this title.

Amendments

2013—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–239, § 651(b)(1), redesignated par. (1) as subsec. (a) and added heading. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 112–239, § 651(b)(2), (3), redesignated par. (2) of former subsec. (a) as (b), added heading, and redesignated subpars. (A) and (B) of former par. (2) as pars. (1) and (2), respectively. Pub. L. 112–239, § 651(a), struck out subsec. (b). Text read as follows: “For each location outside the United States that is served by the commissary system or the exchange system, the Secretary of Defense may maintain a list of controlled merchandise items, except that, after

October 17, 1998, the Secretary may not change the list to add a merchandise item unless, before making the change, the Secretary submits to Congress a notice of the proposed addition and the reasons for the addition of the item.” Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 112–239, § 651(a), struck out subsec. (c). Text read as follows: “The Secretary of Defense shall notify Congress of any change proposed or made to any of the host nation laws or any of the treaty obligations of the United States, and any changed conditions within host nations, if the change would necessitate the use of quantity or other restrictions on purchases in commissary and exchange stores located outside the United States.” 2004—Pub. L. 108–375 renumbered section 2492 of this title as this section. 2002—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107–314 added subsec. (c) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (c). Text read as follows: “The Secretary of Defense shall notify Congress of any change proposed or made to any of the host nation laws or any of the treaty obligations of the United States, and any changed conditions within host nations, if the change would necessitate the use of quantity or other restrictions on purchases in commissary and exchange stores located outside the United States.” 1999—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–65 substituted “

October 17, 1998” for “the date of the enactment of this section”.