---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2643"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2643"
heading: "Commissary and exchange services: transportation overseas"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2643"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Property"
  - "Chapter 157 — Transportation"
---

# §2643. Commissary and exchange services: transportation overseas

- (a) **Transportation Options.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall authorize the officials responsible for operation of commissaries and [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) exchanges to negotiate directly with private carriers for the most [cost-effective](/usc/10/3101.md?p=3) transportation of commissary and exchange [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) to destinations outside the continental [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) without relying on the Air Mobility Command, the [Military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) Sealift Command, or the [Military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) Traffic Management Command. [Section 2631 of this title](/usc/10/2631.md), regarding the preference for vessels of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) or belonging to the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) in the transportation of [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) by sea, shall apply to the negotiation of contracts for sea-borne transportation under the authority of this section.
- (b) **Payment of Transportation Costs.—** [Section 2483(b)(5) of this title](/usc/10/2483.md?p=b-5), regarding the use of appropriated funds to cover the expenses of operating commissary stores, shall apply to the transportation of commissary [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) and products. Appropriated funds for the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense shall also be used to cover the expenses of transporting exchange [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) and products to destinations outside the continental [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1). Such appropriated funds may be supplemented with additional funds derived from improved management practices implemented pursuant to sections [2481(c)(3)](/usc/10/2481.md?p=c-3) and [2487(c)](/usc/10/2487.md?p=c) of this title.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title III, § 334(a), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 261; amended Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title VI, § 673, Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3319; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VI, § 661(h), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2172.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2016—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–328 inserted at end “Such appropriated funds may be supplemented with additional funds derived from improved management practices implemented pursuant to sections 2481(c)(3) and 2487(c) of this title.”

2006—Pub. L. 109–163 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, substituted “to destinations outside the continental United States without relying on the Air Mobility Command, the Military Sealift Command,” for “by sea without relying on the Military Sealift Command” and “contracts for sea-borne transportation” for “transportation contracts”, and added subsec. (b).