Export Licenses

An export license grants permission to conduct a certain type of export transaction. It is issued by the appropriate licensing agency after a careful review of the facts surrounding the given export transaction. Most export transactions do not require specific approval in the form of licenses from the U.S. Government. In fact, a relatively small percentage of all U.S. export transactions require licenses from the U.S. government. It is up to the exporter to determine whether the product requires a license and to research the end use of the product, in other words, to perform “due diligence” regarding the transaction. Exporters should learn which federal department or agency has jurisdiction over the item they are planning to export in order to find out if a license is required.

Dual Use Licenses are required in certain situations involving national security, foreign policy, short-supply, nuclear non-proliferation, missile technology, chemical and biological weapons, regional stability, crime control, or terrorist concerns.

Other federal agencies also have other licensing responsibilities for specialized articles or embargoes on certain countries.

Educating yourself about the export licensing requirements that are most relevant to your company is the first step to successful exporting.

For additional guidance on export licensing or about exporting in general, please call the Trade Information Center (TIC) at (800) USA-TRAD(e) or your local export assistance center.