export control

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Last updated: 26 June 2026Published: 27 January 2026

Source: https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/regulations/export-controls

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Definition & Explanation

Export control keeps security-sensitive goods, technologies, and services from leaving a country without scrutiny, protecting national and international security interests while enforcing sanctions and foreign policy objectives. Exporters, freight forwarders, and manufacturers must verify before each shipment whether the items appear on national or multilateral control lists. In the EU, dual-use goods—items with both civilian and military applications—along with defence-related products and certain chemicals fall under the EU Dual-Use Regulation and require an export authorisation from the competent authority. Equally important is screening recipients, end-users, and destination countries against sanctions lists maintained by the EU, the US (OFAC, BIS), and the UN. In daily forwarding practice, this means classifying goods by export control classification numbers, running shipment data against sanctions lists, and keeping complete documentation. Violations can result in criminal prosecution, licence revocation, and substantial fines.

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Related Terms

export control number

export control proviso / clause

Export control authorization

Export authorization application

export control classification

Export control compliance

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