ITAR Compliance
ITAR covers defense articles and services on the US Munitions List — 21 categories ranging from firearms to spacecraft. Any company that manufactures, exports, or brokers ITAR-controlled items must register with the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and obtain a license before export or transfer to a foreign person, including foreign nationals employed in the US. The deemed export rule makes this operationally complex: showing a controlled technical drawing to a non-US engineer in a domestic facility may require a license. Penalties for ITAR violations run up to $1 million per violation and criminal referral. Hughes Network Systems paid $4 million in 2024 for unauthorized exports of satellite components. We cover ITAR registration, license categories, deemed export obligations, and the compliance program elements DDTC expects.