Export & trade
compliance
Body armor and ballistic materials sit inside a web of U.S. trade controls. ArmorList makes the controls that touch a transaction legible, and surfaces the domestic-sourcing facts a buyer needs, so both sides know their obligations before a deal moves.
This page is informational and works alongside our binding Export Controls & Government Use policy. It does not replace your own legal or compliance advice.
Which controls apply depends on the item, its classification, the parties, and the destination. IntelAlytic is a marketplace venue: we do not classify, license, sell, export, or take title to suppliers' products.
What can govern a body-armor transaction
Armor and ballistic materials can fall under any of these depending on the item and the deal. This is orientation, not classification, your product's actual treatment turns on its specifications and the facts of the sale.
Classifies many body-armor items and ballistic fibers, for example under Export Control Classification Numbers in Category 1. Governs export, re-export, and transfer of controlled commercial items.
Applies to any item on the U.S. Munitions List, which can include certain military helmets and hard armor. Registration and licensing obligations attach to controlled defense articles and technical data.
Restricts dealings with certain countries, regions, entities, and individuals. Comprehensive and list-based sanctions can prohibit a transaction outright regardless of the item.
Federal buyers face domestic-sourcing rules: the Berry Amendment for certain DoD textiles, the Trade Agreements Act for covered acquisitions, and Buy American preferences. Country of origin drives eligibility.
Restricts possession of body armor by persons convicted of a violent felony, with additional state and local rules. Relevant to lawful buyer eligibility, not export as such.
Both sides must screen counterparties against denied-, restricted-, and sanctioned-party lists, and confirm the end-user and end-use are not prohibited before a deal proceeds.
Compliance stays with the parties to the deal
ArmorList is the venue and the reference layer. Classification, licensing, screening, and lawful end-use are the responsibility of the seller and the buyer, each for their own side of the transaction.
Both sides are responsible for screening their counterparties against applicable denied-, restricted-, and sanctioned-party lists, and for not diverting products to a prohibited end-user or end-use.
The sourcing facts on every listing
Government and agency buyers are bound by domestic-preference rules. ArmorList surfaces the sourcing signals a listing claims, with documentation where a supplier provides it, so the country-of-origin question is answered before you request a quote, not after award.
Whether the supplier claims U.S. manufacture, surfaced on the listing with any documentation the supplier provides.
Whether the supplier represents Berry-compliant domestic textile sourcing for covered DoD acquisitions.
Whether products are represented as Trade Agreements Act compliant, made or substantially transformed in the U.S. or a designated country.
The stated country of origin for the product and, where given, its ballistic materials, so origin is answered before you quote.
How ArmorList reduces trade-compliance risk
We do not take title, classify, or export. What we do is make the facts legible and act on risk we can see, so a compliant deal is the path of least resistance.
Export Controls & Government Use policyWe may screen accounts and listings and act on trade-compliance risk we can see.
We may restrict certain features or access by geography where controls or sanctions warrant.
We may refuse, suspend, or remove access, listings, or connections that present a compliance risk.
We structure sourcing and origin claims on the listing so buyers see them before requesting a quote.
Commercial-item rights
The Services and software are commercial products, commercial computer software, and commercial computer software documentation under FAR 2.101. Consistent with FAR 12.212 and DFARS 227.7202, any use by or for the U.S. Government is governed by our Terms of Service, and the Government acquires only the rights granted to all other users, except where mandatory federal law provides otherwise.
Read section 6 of the policy →Deemed-export handling
Where an engagement involves controlled technical data, it is handled under access controls limited to authorized U.S. persons. Release of controlled technical data to a foreign person, including inside the United States, is treated as an export (a deemed export) and controlled accordingly.
See Acceptable Use Policy →Where to check, and who to ask
These are the authoritative U.S. Government sources. Screening is your responsibility; use the primary tools directly. Links open the official sites.
Treasury’s consolidated screening against SDN and other sanctions lists.
Trade.gov tool spanning BIS, State, and Treasury denied- and restricted-party lists.
Bureau of Industry and Security: the EAR, the Commerce Control List, and licensing.
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls: the USML, registration, and licensing.
Defense Logistics Agency guidance on Berry Amendment domestic-sourcing requirements.
System for Award Management: entity registration and exclusions for federal contracting.
Questions on a specific transaction?
We can point you to the right part of the policy and the right official resource. We cannot give you legal or classification advice, that stays with your counsel and compliance team.
This page is informational only and does not constitute legal advice or a determination of how any control applies to your product or transaction. It summarizes and links to the binding Export Controls & Government Use policy, which governs in the event of any conflict. Export classifications, license requirements, and sanctions change; always confirm against current official sources.