Direct Commercial Sales
Licensed arms sales made directly between a US company and a foreign buyer, authorized by the State Department.
Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) are arms transfers in which a US defense company sells directly to a foreign government or other foreign buyer, rather than through the government-to-government Foreign Military Sales system. DCS transactions are licensed by the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
Because DCS deals are arranged commercially between a company and a buyer, they can be less visible than the Foreign Military Sales cases that are formally notified to Congress. Tracking them often depends on license data, corporate disclosures, and shipping records.
Also known as: DCS
Last reviewed .
Cite this page: Break the Chain (NYC-DSA Anti-War Working Group), "Direct Commercial Sales," Arms-Trade and Logistics Glossary. https://wecanbreakthechain.com/glossary/direct-commercial-sales/
📚Sources
🔗Related terms
The paper trail ends at the loading dock. Break the Chain documents the NYC-area companies that move the cargo, each with a documented role and a published source, and publishes the research as it lands.