Export Controls and Sanctions Compliance
Two overlapping regimes
Export controls regulate dual-use and military items through classification lists such as ECCN-style categories and end-use/end-user checks, while sanctions restrict dealings with specific persons, sectors, and countries. A compliant program screens parties against restricted-party lists, checks end use, applies license exceptions only where clearly available, and documents every decision. Deemed exports - releasing controlled technology to a foreign national in-country - are a frequent blind spot.
Concepts to master
Know the difference between a license and a license exception, the meaning of red flags such as unusual routing or vague end use, and the duty to escalate rather than ignore. Understand that re-exports and transfers can be controlled even when the item never touches the home country. Embargoes and sectoral sanctions may prohibit facilitation, not just direct sales.
Traps
Assuming a transaction is fine because the customer is not on a list - screening is necessary but not sufficient. Another trap: treating a routed order through a third country as low risk. Also watch for questions implying a broker may complete a transaction when red flags remain unresolved; the correct answer is usually to stop and inquire.
Rule of thumb
If you cannot confirm the item classification, the end user, and the end use, do not proceed. Document the inquiry and the resolution.
Worked example
A buyer requests shipment to a trading company in a third country with instructions to relabel goods and no end-user statement. The unresolved end use plus routing anomaly should trigger a hold and escalation, not shipment.