FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.2

FAR 52.216-3 Economic Price Adjustment—Semistandard Supplies.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This clause allows the contract unit price for semistandard supplies to be adjusted up or down if the contractor's established price changes. It requires the contractor to notify the government of price decreases and allows the contractor to request increases, subject to a 10% cap and other limitations. It matters because it provides a mechanism to keep prices aligned with market changes while protecting the government from excessive increases.

Applies to: Contractors supplying semistandard supplies under contracts that include this clause.

What it requires

  • Warrant that the supplies have an established price and that any difference between contract unit prices and established prices is due to contract specifications or special packaging requirements.
  • Promptly notify the Contracting Officer of the amount and effective date of each decrease in any applicable established price.
  • Continue deliveries according to the contract delivery schedule during the cancellation period and thereafter if there is no cancellation.

Key terms: established price · semistandard supplies · contract unit price · Contracting Officer · Default clause

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

As prescribed in 16.203-4(b), insert the following clause:

Economic Price Adjustment—Semistandard Supplies (NOV 2021)

(a) The Contractor warrants that the supplies identified as line items ____ [offeror insert Schedule line item number] in the Schedule are, except for modifications required by the contract specifications, supplies for which it has an established price. The term established price means a price that (1) is an established catalog or market price for a commercial product sold in substantial quantities to the general public, and (2) is the net price after applying any standard trade discounts offered by the Contractor. The Contractor further warrants that, as of the date of this contract, any difference between the unit prices stated in the contract for these line items and the Contractor's established prices for like quantities of the nearest commercial equivalents are due to compliance with contract specifications and with any contract requirements for preservation, packaging, and packing beyond standard commercial practice.

(b) The Contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer of the amount and effective date of each decrease in any applicable established price. Each corresponding contract unit price (exclusive of any part of the unit price that reflects modifications resulting from compliance with specifications or with requirements for preservation, packaging, and packing beyond standard commercial practice) shall be decreased by the same percentage that the established price is decreased. The decrease shall apply to those items delivered on and after the effective date of the decrease in the Contractor's established price, and this contract shall be modified accordingly.

(c) If the Contractor's applicable established price is increased after the contract date, the corresponding contract unit price (exclusive of any part of the unit price resulting from compliance with specifications or with requirements for preservation, packaging, and packing beyond standard commercial practice) shall be increased, upon the Contractor's written request to the Contracting Officer, by the same percentage that the established price is increased, and the contract shall be modified accordingly, subject to the following limitations:

(1) The aggregate of the increases in any contract unit price under this clause shall not exceed 10 percent of the original contract unit price.

(2) The increased contract unit price shall be effective (i) on the effective date of the increase in the applicable established price if the Contracting Officer receives the Contractor's written request within 10 days thereafter or (ii) if the written request is received later, on the date the Contracting Officer receives the request.

(3) The increased contract unit price shall not apply to quantities scheduled under the contract for delivery before the effective date of the increased contract unit price, unless failure to deliver before that date results from causes beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the Contractor, within the meaning of the Default clause.

(4) No modification increasing a contract unit price shall be executed under this paragraph (c) until the Contracting Officer verifies the increase in the applicable established price.

(5) Within 30 days after receipt of the Contractor's written request, the Contracting Officer may cancel, without liability to either party, any undelivered portion of the contract items affected by the requested increase.

(d) During the time allowed for the cancellation provided for in subparagraph (c)(5) above, and thereafter if there is no cancellation, the Contractor shall continue deliveries according to the contract delivery schedule, and the Government shall pay for such deliveries at the contract unit price, increased to the extent provided by paragraph (c) above.

(End of clause)

Sections it refers to

Sections that refer to it

← 52.216-2 Economic Price Adjustment—Standard Supplies. · 52.216-4 Economic Price Adjustment—Labor and Material. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 52

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 52.216-3 Economic Price Adjustment—Semistandard Supplies · SpendQuery