(a) Allocation orders will:

(1) Be used only when there is insufficient supply of a material, service, or facility to satisfy national defense requirements through the use of the priorities authority or when the use of the priorities authority would cause a severe and prolonged disruption in the supply of materials, services, or facilities available to support normal U.S. economic activities; and

(2) Not be used to ration materials or services at the retail level.

(b) Allocation orders, when used, will be distributed equitably among the suppliers of the materials, services, or facilities being allocated and not require any person to relinquish a disproportionate share of the civilian market.

Before the Department of Commerce uses its allocations authority to address a supply problem within its resource jurisdiction, it will develop a plan that includes:

(a) A copy of the written determination made in accordance with section 202 of Executive Order 13603, that the program or programs that would be supported by the allocation action are necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense;

(b) A detailed description of the situation to include any unusual events or circumstances that have created the requirement for an allocation action;

(c) A statement of the specific objective(s) of the allocation action;

(d) A list of the materials, services, or facilities to be allocated;

(e) A list or description of the sources of the materials, services, or facilities that will be subject to the allocation action;

(f) A detailed description of the provisions that will be included in the allocation orders, including the type(s) of allocation orders, the percentages or quantity of capacity or output to be allocated for each purpose, the relationship with previously or subsequently received priority rated and unrated contracts and orders, and the duration of the allocation action (e.g., anticipated start and end dates);

(g) An evaluation of the impact of the proposed allocation action on the civilian market; and

(h) Proposed actions, if any, to mitigate disruptions to civilian market operations.

No allocation action by the Department of Commerce may be used to control the general distribution of a material in the civilian market unless the conditions of paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section are met.

(a) The Secretary has made a written finding that:

(1) Such material is a scarce and critical material essential to the national defense, and

(2) The requirements of the national defense for such material cannot otherwise be met without creating a significant dislocation of the normal distribution of such material in the civilian market to such a degree as to create appreciable hardship.

(b) The Secretary has submitted the finding for the President's approval through the Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.

(c) The President has approved the finding.

(d) In this section, the term, “Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce or his or her designee.

There are three types of allocation orders available for communicating allocation actions.

(a) Set-aside. A set-aside is an official action that requires a person to reserve materials, services, or facilities capacity in anticipation of the receipt of rated orders.

(b) Directive. A directive is an official action that requires a person to take or refrain from taking certain actions in accordance with its provisions. For example, a directive can require a person to: stop or reduce production of an item; prohibit the use of selected materials, services, or facilities; or divert the use of materials, services, or facilities from one purpose to another.

(c) Allotment. An allotment is an official action that specifies the maximum quantity of a material, service, or facility authorized for a specific use to promote the national defense.

Allocation orders may be issued directly to the affected persons or by constructive notice to the parties through publication in the Federal Register. This section describes the elements that each order must include.

(a) Elements to be included in all allocation orders. (1) A detailed description of the required allocation action(s), including its relationship to previously or subsequently received DX rated orders, DO rated orders, and unrated orders.

(2) Specific start and end calendar dates for each required allocation action.

(b) Elements to be included in orders issued directly to affected persons. (1) A statement that reads in substance: “This is an allocation order certified for national defense use. [Insert the name of the person receiving the order] is required to comply with this order, in accordance with the provisions of the Defense Priorities and Allocations System regulation (15 CFR part 700).”

(2) The written signature on a manually placed order, or the digital signature or name on an electronically placed order, of an authorized official or employee of the Department of Commerce.

(c) Elements to be included in an allocation order issued by constructive notice through publication in the Federal Register. (1) A statement that reads in substance: “This is an allocation order certified for national defense use. [Insert the name(s) of the person(s) to whom the order applies or a description of the class of persons to whom the order applies] is (are) required to comply with this order, in accordance with the provisions of the Defense Priorities and Allocations System regulation (15 CFR part 700).”

(2) The order must be signed by an authorized official or employee of the Department of Commerce.

(a) Except as otherwise specified in this section, a person shall accept and comply with every allocation order received.

(b) A person shall not discriminate against an allocation order in any manner such as by charging higher prices for materials, services, or facilities covered by the order or by imposing terms and conditions for contracts and orders involving allocated materials, services, or facilities that differ from the person's terms and conditions for contracts and orders for the materials, services, or facilities prior to receiving the allocation order.

(c) If a person is unable to comply fully with the required action(s) specified in an allocation order, the person must notify the Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security immediately, explain the extent to which compliance is possible, and give the reasons why full compliance is not possible. If notification is given verbally, written or electronic confirmation must be provided within one working day. Such notification does not release the person from complying with the order to the fullest extent possible, until the person is notified by the Department of Commerce that the order has been changed or cancelled.

An allocation order may be changed or cancelled by an official action from the Department of Commerce. Notice of such changes or cancellations may be provided directly to persons to whom the order being cancelled or modified applies or constructive notice may be provided by publication in the Federal Register.