§125.4. Exemptions of general applicability. — Inbound Citations

(f) To claim an exemption for the export of technical data under the provisions of this subchapter (e.g., §§ 125.4 and 125.5 of this subchapter), the exporter must certify that the proposed export is covered by a relevant section of this subchapter, to include the paragraph and applicable subordinate paragraph. Certifications consist of clearly marking the package or letter containing the technical data “22 CFR [insert ITAR exemption] applicable.” This certification must be made in written form and retained in the exporter's files for a period of 5 years. For exports that are oral, visual, or electronic the exporter must also complete a written certification and retain it for a period of 5 years.

(ii) Prior to the initial export of any technical data and defense services authorized in an agreement the U.S. agreement holder must electronically inform DDTC that exports have begun. In accordance with this subchapter, all subsequent exports of technical data and services are not required to be filed electronically with DDTC except when the export is done using a U.S. Port. Records of all subsequent exports of technical data shall be maintained by the exporter in accordance with this subchapter and shall be made immediately available to DDTC upon request. Exports of technical data in furtherance of an agreement using a U.S. Port shall be made in accordance with § 125.4 of this subchapter and made in accordance with the procedures in paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section.

(a) The approval of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls must be obtained before the defense services described in § 120.32 of this subchapter may be furnished. In order to obtain such approval, the U.S. person must submit a proposed agreement to the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Such agreements are generally characterized as manufacturing license agreements, technical assistance agreements, distribution agreements, or off-shore procurement agreements, and may not enter into force without the prior written approval of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Once approved, the defense services described in the agreements may generally be provided without further licensing in accordance with §§ 124.3 and 125.4(b)(2) of this subchapter. The requirements of this section apply whether or not technical data is to be disclosed or used in the performance of the defense services described in § 120.32 of this subchapter (e.g., all the information relied upon by the U.S. person in performing the defense service is in the public domain or is otherwise exempt from licensing requirements of this subchapter pursuant to § 125.4 of this subchapter). This requirement also applies to the training of any foreign military forces, regular and irregular, in the use of defense articles. Technical assistance agreements must be submitted in such cases. In exceptional cases, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, upon written request, will consider approving the provision of defense services described in § 120.32 of this subchapter by granting a license under part 125 of this subchapter.

(e) Licenses issued pursuant to this section must be renewed prior to their expiration if offshore procurement is to be extended beyond the period of validity of the original approved license. In all instances a license for offshore procurement must state as the purpose “Offshore procurement in accordance with the conditions established in the ITAR, including § 124.13. No other use will be made of the technical data.” If the technical data involved in an offshore procurement arrangement is otherwise exempt from the licensing requirements of this subchapter (e.g., § 126.4), the DSP-5 referred to in the first sentence of this section is not required. However, the exporter must comply with the other requirements of this section and provide a written certification to the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls annually of the offshore procurement activity and cite the exemption under which the technical data was exported. The exemptions under § 125.4 of this subchapter may not be used to establish offshore procurement arrangements.

(b) A license for the export of technical data and the exemptions in § 125.4 may not be used for foreign production purposes or for technical assistance unless the approval of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has been obtained. Such approval is generally provided only pursuant to the procedures specified in part 124 of this subchapter.

(4) Included among the criteria required for such authorizations are those set out in part 124, e.g., §§ 124.7, 124.8 and 124.9, as well as §§ 125.4 (technical data exported in furtherance of an agreement) and 123.16 (hardware being included in an agreement). Provisions required will also take into account the congressional notification requirements in §§ 123.15 and 124.11 of the ITAR. Specifically, comprehensive congressional notifications corresponding to the comprehensive parameters for the major program or project or cooperative project should be possible, with additional notifications such as those required by law for changes in value or other significant modifications.

(4) Port Directors of U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall permit the export without a license, of unclassified models or mock-ups of defense articles, provided that such models or mock-ups are inoperable and do not reveal any technical data in excess of that which is exempted from the licensing requirements of § 125.4(b) of this subchapter and do not contain components (see § 120.40(c) of this subchapter) covered by the U.S. Munitions List (see § 121.1 of this subchapter). Some models or mockups built to scale or constructed of original materials can reveal technical data. U.S. persons who avail themselves of this exemption must electronically submit a certification to U.S. Customs and Border Protection that these conditions are met, unless directed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to provide such a certification in another manner. This exemption does not imply that the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will approve the export of any defense articles for which models or mocks-ups have been exported pursuant to this exemption.

(iii) In any instance when technical data is exported using an exemption in this subchapter (e.g., §§ 125.4(b)(2), 125.4(b)(4), 126.5) from a U.S. port, the exporter must provide the export data electronically to DDTC. A copy of the electronic notification to DDTC must accompany the technical data shipment and be made available to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon request.

(a) The approval of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls must be obtained before the defense services described in § 120.32 of this subchapter may be furnished. In order to obtain such approval, the U.S. person must submit a proposed agreement to the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Such agreements are generally characterized as manufacturing license agreements, technical assistance agreements, distribution agreements, or off-shore procurement agreements, and may not enter into force without the prior written approval of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Once approved, the defense services described in the agreements may generally be provided without further licensing in accordance with §§ 124.3 and 125.4(b)(2) of this subchapter. The requirements of this section apply whether or not technical data is to be disclosed or used in the performance of the defense services described in § 120.32 of this subchapter (e.g., all the information relied upon by the U.S. person in performing the defense service is in the public domain or is otherwise exempt from licensing requirements of this subchapter pursuant to § 125.4 of this subchapter). This requirement also applies to the training of any foreign military forces, regular and irregular, in the use of defense articles. Technical assistance agreements must be submitted in such cases. In exceptional cases, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, upon written request, will consider approving the provision of defense services described in § 120.32 of this subchapter by granting a license under part 125 of this subchapter.

(2) The exemption at 22 CFR 125.4(b)(3) of the ITAR provides that a contractor may export technical data without a license if the contract between the agency and the exporter provides for the export of the data. The clause at 1852.225-70, Alternate I, provides contractual authority for the exemption, but the exemption is available only after the contracting officer, or designated representative, provides written authorization or direction enabling its use. It is NASA policy that the exemption at 22 CFR 125.4(b)(3) may only be used when technical data (including software) is exchanged with a NASA foreign partner pursuant to the terms of an international agreement in furtherance of an international collaborative effort. The contracting officer must obtain the approval of the Center Export Administrator before granting the contractor the authority to use this exemption.

(iii) In any instance when technical data is exported using an exemption in this subchapter (e.g., §§ 125.4(b)(2), 125.4(b)(4), 126.5) from a U.S. port, the exporter must provide the export data electronically to DDTC. A copy of the electronic notification to DDTC must accompany the technical data shipment and be made available to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection upon request.

(c) NATO countries, Australia, Japan, and Sweden, in addition to the basic maintenance training exemption provided in § 124.2(a) and basic maintenance information exemption in § 125.4(b)(5) of this subchapter, no technical assistance agreement is required for maintenance training or the performance of maintenance, including the export of supporting technical data, when the following criteria can be met:

(1) Defense services are for unclassified U.S.-origin defense articles lawfully exported or authorized for export and owned or operated by and in the inventory of NATO or the Federal Governments of NATO countries, Australia, Japan or Sweden.

(2) This defense service exemption does not apply to any transaction involving defense services for which congressional notification is required in accordance with §§ 123.15 and 124.11 of this subchapter.

(3) Maintenance training or the performance of maintenance must be limited to inspection, testing, calibration or repair, including overhaul, reconditioning and one-to-one replacement of any defective items, parts or components; and excluding any modification, enhancement, upgrade or other form of alteration or improvement that enhances the performance or capability of the defense article. This does not preclude maintenance training or the performance of maintenance that would result in enhancements or improvements only in the reliability or maintainability of the defense article, such as an increased mean time between failure (MTBF).

(4) Supporting technical data must be unclassified and must not include software documentation on the design or details of the computer software, software source code, design methodology, engineering analysis, or manufacturing know-how.

(5) This defense service exemption does not apply to maintenance training or the performance of maintenance and service or the transfer of supporting technical data for the following defense articles:

(i) All Missile Technology Control Regime Annex Items;

(ii) Firearms listed in Category I; and ammunition listed in Category III for the firearms in Category I;

(iii) [Reserved]

(iv) Naval nuclear propulsion equipment listed in USML Category VI and USML Category XX;

(v) Gas turbine engine hot sections covered by Category XIX(f);

(vi) Category VIII(f);

(vii) Category XII(c);

(viii) Chemical agents listed in Category XIV (a), biological agents in Category XIV (b), and equipment listed in Category XIV (c) for dissemination of the chemical agents and biological agents listed in Categories XIV (a) and (b);

(ix) [Reserved]

(x) Category XV;

(xi) [Reserved]

(xii) Submersible and semi-submersible vessels and related articles covered in USML Category XX; or

(6) Foreign persons eligible to receive technical data or maintenance training under this exemption are limited to nationals of the NATO countries, Australia, Japan, or Sweden.

(7) Through public release (i.e., unlimited distribution) in any form (e.g., not necessarily in published form) after approval by the cognizant U.S. Government department or agency (see also § 125.4(b)(13) of this subchapter); or

(a) The controls of this part apply to the export of technical data and the export of classified defense articles. Information which is in the public domain (see § 120.34 of this subchapter and § 125.4(b)(13)) is not subject to the controls of this subchapter.

(a) The following exemptions apply to exports of technical data for which approval is not needed from the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. The exemptions, except for paragraph (b)(13) of this section, do not apply to exports to proscribed destinations under § 126.1 of this subchapter or for persons considered generally ineligible under § 120.16 of this subchapter. The exemptions are also not applicable for purposes of establishing offshore procurement arrangements or producing defense articles offshore (see § 124.13), except as authorized under § 125.4(c). Transmission of classified information must comply with the requirements of the Department of Defense National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (unless such requirements are in direct conflict with guidance provided by the Directorate of Defense Trade controls, in which case the latter guidance must be followed) and the exporter must certify to the transmittal authority that the technical data does not exceed the technical limitation of the authorized export.