How Emailed Blueprints Trigger Export Fines

This episode breaks down how everyday procurement actions—such as emailing a CAD drawing or onboarding a non-U.S. worker—can trigger severe U.S. export control violations with multi-million dollar penalties. Operating as expert procurement and contracts guides, the hosts debunk the "shipping box myth" by detailing the mechanics of deemed exports, comparing the zero-tolerance ITAR "see-through" rule against the EAR de minimis threshold, highlighting hidden gaps in HR, IT, and cloud environments, and laying out an actionable 30-60-90 day compliance playbook.

Podcast Episode Notes

1. The "Shipping Box Myth" & High-Stakes Penalties

• The 90-Second Violation
• Severe Liability
• Real-World Enforcement Case Studies

2. Deemed Exports & Defining a "Foreign Person"

• The Clean Room Analogy
• Legal Definition
• Everyday Leaks

3. Regulatory Frameworks: ITAR vs. EAR

• ITAR (State Dept / DDTC)
• EAR (Commerce Dept / BIS)

4. Order of Review & Evaluation Mechanics

• Mandatory Order of Review
• The "Specially Designed" Trap
• The 4-Question Screen
• The Encryption Trap

5. Internal Leaks: HR, IT, & Cloud Security

• Passport Divergence
• Form I-129 HR Gap
• The Cloud & FedRAMP Illusion
• Defense Services Felony

6. Operating Models & Global Supplier Friction

• 3 Operating Models:
  1. Enclave & Data Minimization (Safest)
  2. License & Share (Brittle)
  3. Design Out (Hardest)
• The "ITAR Free" Myth
• GDPR Workarounds
• Chief Compliance Officer legal attestation and enforcing role-based access controls rather than collecting employee passport copies.

7. Case Studies, Rules, & Emergency Protocols

• Professor John Reece Roth Case
• The Affiliates Rule
• 24-Hour Emergency Protocol:

8. The 30-60-90 Day Action Plan