Shipping items abroad may be the most common concept of an export. Depending on the destination, items shipped overseas may require an export license; therefore, all international shipments should be reviewed prior to shipping to ensure they are not being exported to a denied or restricted entity or individual. Before each shipment, consider:
- What are you shipping and is it export-controlled?
- Where is the item going?
- Who is the end-user and what is the intended end-use?
By means of our International Shipments Form, Vanderbilt Export Compliance (VEC) can help determine export licensing requirements for your shipment; this form is an export review only and not a shipping service . If you think your item may be controlled, please contact VEC early to allow adequate time for the proper export determinations; we recommend five (5) business days prior to your anticipated shipping date.
What Are You Shipping and Is It Export-Controlled?
Most items and technologies are controlled to some degree, and the degree of control varies per item. To determine degrees of control, it is important to properly classify the item or technology by identifying the Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) or ITAR USML Category that controls it. If you do not know this information, the most reliable source is the manufacturer or sponsor of the item or technology. For self-classification assistance, contact vec@vanderbilt.edu.
Just because it is not labeled does not mean it is not controlled. Just because you bought it commercially does not mean it is not controlled.
Note: The U.S. Government restricts the shipping of bacteria, fungi, toxins, or viruses. For a list of controlled biological agents see the Restricted Biological Agents guide; for controlled chemicals see the Controlled Chemicals guide.
You can find examples of controlled technologies here. Remember that while almost every item located in the United States is subject to export controls, most do not require an export license.
Where Is the Item Going?
Once you determine your item’s classification number or category you’ll need to determine where it is controlled or restricted to. Certain destinations are comprehensively sanctioned or embargoed and virtually all interactions with these are prohibited without an authorized export license from the U.S. Government.
Who Is the End-User and What Is the Intended End-Use?
It is important to consider who is receiving the item (and their associated entity). Some companies and individuals are denied or blocked parties, and we are prohibited from doing business with them without a license. Always perform a Restricted Parties Screening (RPS) on the recipient, or end-user, and their associated entity to ensure they are not on one of the government-maintained lists. You can perform a restricted parties screening by completing a Restricted Parties Screening Request or searching on export.gov.
In addition, consider what the recipient is going to do with the item. Any end-use with a military or space application or any ultimate purpose that is contrary to national security requires extra review.
Imports
V. Alexander
For all imports and other shipments which may require the expertise of a dedicated customs broker, V. Alexander is Vanderbilt’s approved vendor. Please see the Vanderbilt Finance Gold Guide for updated vendor representative contact information. For more guidance on how to ship internationally with V. Alexander, refer to their website or contact the vendor representative.