The International Traffic in Arms Regulations

The ITAR

Broadly, the regulations drafted and enforced by the State Department in accordance with the AECA and EO 11958/13637 became known as the International Trade in Arms Regulations, or the “ITAR”, and make up 22 C.F.R. §§120-130 (the Code of Federal Regulations: the rules promulgated by executive agencies that nonetheless carry the same force of law as those passed by the Congress).

While the title of the authorizing legislation (AECA) refers to exports particularly, the Act and ITAR govern significantly more areas, such as temporary importation, reimportation, manufacturer oversight, administrative controls, and even contributions to foreign political entities by American citizens and companies.

The cornerstone of the ITAR was, and remains today, the USML, first released in early 1977. As can be expected, since 1977 the USML has grown considerably, and is under near-constant revision, with entries added and removed on a regular basis. It takes, therefore, a diligent attorney who is experienced in the arms industry and the areas of administrative law and federal regulations to interpret and keep up with this constantly-evolving document. Luckily for you, the Managing Attorney not only does this for a living, but researches these topics as a hobby in his off hours!

For a more detailed look at USML compliance and how critical it is, please see its dedication section:
USML →