Various industries experience their own level of compliance and government related policies and rules. In the manufacturing industry, ITAR Compliance is the latest compliance that has come to the forefront. The first step you need to take to attack this new compliance, is to first understand what it is. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) control the export and import of defense-related articles and services on the United States Munitions List (USML). According to the U.S. Government, all manufacturers, exporters, and brokers of defense articles, defense services, or related technical data must be ITAR compliant. These export control laws are designed to prevent unauthorized foreign nationals from procuring any sensitive information. More and more organizations are requiring that members of their supply chain be ITAR Compliant.

Now that you have a basic understanding of what ITAR Compliance is, the next step is to understand what steps you need to take to get there.  Simply put, to be ITAR Compliant, a company needs to register with DDTC and know what is required of them to be in compliance with the ITAR, and self certify that they possess this knowledge. This explanation does not constitute legal advice and is not for attribution, however some companies choose to seek legal advice on issues of compliances. You will need to obtain proper licenses for the things you plan to export. Also, your internal procedures and policies will need to be compliant with the ITAR requirements.
Registering your company with the DDTC so you can sell your products or services in the ITAR industry, does not exclude you from abiding by ITAR compliance regulations. You are expected to be educated and trained in ITAR regulations. Violating the ITAR may result in criminal or civil penalties, debarred from future exports, as well as imprisonment. You need to make sure someone on your staff is educated about ITAR and trained in how to keep your policies and procedures compliant. If you don’t have the bandwidth in your staff, you can find an outside partner that can be an extension of your staff and can fill this void.
Bottom line, YOU are responsible for making sure that you’re following all relevant ITAR guidelines. You must set up your systems appropriately and then make sure the rules are followed. When it comes to data security, this is a step where you will want to bring in an IT Consultant that specializes in data security and has experience working with clients on ITAR Requirements. 2W Tech has experience with this, so give us a call today and see how we can start moving your organization towards ITAR Compliant.
More information on ITAR can be found at: ITAR Regulations
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