Export licence

An export licence is the government authorization required before specified controlled goods, technology, or software may leave a country. Controls cover military and dual-use items, items subject to sanctions or embargoes, cultural property, and CITES-listed species, and licences may be individual, global, or general depending on the item and destination. In the EU dual-use exports run under Regulation (EU) 2021/821; in the US they fall under the Export Administration Regulations or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Customs check the licence against the declaration at export, and shipping controlled goods without one is a criminal offense.