(a) A person must use rated orders to obtain:

(1) Items which will be physically incorporated into other items to fill rated orders, including that portion of such items normally consumed, or converted into scrap or by-products, in the course of processing;

(2) Containers or other packaging materials required to make delivery of the finished items against rated orders;

(3) Services, other than contracts of employment, needed to fill rated orders; and

(4) MRO needed to produce the finished items to fill rated orders.

(b) A person may use a rated order to replace inventoried items (including finished items) if such items were used to fill rated orders, as follows:

(1) The order must be placed within 90 days of the date of use of the inventory.

(2) A DO rating symbol and the program identification symbol indicated on the customer's rated order must be used on the order. A DX rating symbol may not be used even if the inventory was used to fill a DX rated order.

(3) If the priority ratings on rated orders from one customer or several customers contain different program identification symbols, the rated orders may be combined.

(c) A person may combine DX and DO rated orders from one customer or several customers if the items covered by each level of priority are identified separately and clearly.

(d) Combining rated and unrated orders.

(1) A person may combine rated and unrated order quantities on one purchase order provided that:

(i) The rated quantities are separately and clearly identified; and

(ii) The elements of a rated order, as required by §333.12, are included on the order with the statement required in §333.12(d) modified to read in substance: “This purchase order contains rated order quantities certified for national defense use, and you are required to follow all the provisions of the Emergency Management Priorities and Allocations System regulations (44 CFR part 333) as it pertains to the rated quantities.”

(2) A supplier must accept or reject the rated portion of the purchase order as provided in §333.13 and give preferential treatment only to the rated quantities as required by this part. This part may not be used to give preferential treatment to the unrated portion of the order.

(3) Any supplier who believes that rated and unrated orders are being combined in a manner contrary to the intent of this part or in a fashion that causes undue or exceptional hardship may submit a request for adjustment or exception under §333.70.

(e) A person may place a rated order for the minimum commercially procurable quantity even if the quantity needed to fill a rated order is less than that minimum. However, a person must combine rated orders as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, if possible, to obtain minimum procurable quantities.

(f) A person is not required to place a priority rating on an order for less than one half of the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (as established in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)) (see 48 CFR 2.101) or in other authorized acquisition regulatory or management systems, provided that delivery can be obtained in a timely fashion without the use of the priority rating.