Export Administration Regulations

The Export Administration Regulations — 15 CFR Parts 730–774 — are the primary legal framework governing commercial exports from the US. The EAR covers items on the Commerce Control List, EAR99 items exported to restricted destinations or end users, and reexports of US-origin content by foreign parties. Key obligations include: classifying items by ECCN, screening end users against restricted party lists, determining license requirements, applying appropriate license exceptions, and maintaining records for five years. BIS conducts both voluntary and directed audits. In 2024, BIS assessed over $300 million in civil penalties across export control cases. The recordkeeping requirement alone — all export transactions, communications, and classification decisions — catches exporters who didn't know they needed a program.