Defense Priorities and Allocation System

The goals of the DPAS are to: (a) assure the timely availability of
industrial resources to meet current national defense requirements and (b)
provide a framework for rapid industrial expansion in case of a national
emergency. The authority for DPAS, which is administered by the Commerce
Department's Bureau of Export Administration, extends from Title I of the
Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (DPA). While the DPAS is
designed to be largely self-executing, Special Priorities Assistance (SPA)
may be provided, including: (a) timely delivery of items needed to fill
priority rated defense contracts, (b) granting priority rating authority,
and (c) resolving production and delivery conflicts between rated defense
contracts.