Global Trade Partner Evaluation Checklist
Your next international opportunity may involve more than one license, one regulation, or one point of contact. This checklist helps you see whether your global trade support can handle the full defense trade picture before the opportunity is already in motion.
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The questions you ask before you commit to an international opportunity matter more than the ones you ask after something goes wrong.
A partner may be able to interpret a requirement, file a license, or answer a narrow compliance question. But that does not always mean they can operationalize the full defense trade picture across classification, agreements, logistics, customs, Technology Release and Foreign Disclosure (formerly Technology Security and Foreign Disclosure), U.S. Government engagement, post-award obligations, and the day-to-day work that keeps programs moving.
Recent enforcement activity reinforces the point. In the GE Aerospace Consent Agreement, 103 of 116 charges came from authorization mismanagement, a reminder that gaps often build in the operational work that happens after approval.
Before you evaluate a new partner, rely on a single in-house hire, or head into your next industry event, start with the questions that show whether your global trade support can handle the full defense trade picture.
Licensing is only one part of the engagement. A partner should also understand agreements, jurisdiction and classification, logistics and customs, Technology Security and Foreign Disclosure, designing for exportability, and global trade program management.
Defense trade does not stay in neat lanes. An FMS opportunity, TSFD question, logistics issue, or post-award obligation can surface while someone is focused only on the ITAR license.
The initial authorization may not cover training, integration support, technical data exchanges, contractor logistics support, or post-delivery services. Those gaps are easier to address before the commitment is already in motion.
Modern defense technology does not always follow clean regulatory lines. Jurisdiction and classification decisions can affect licensing strategy, releasability, exportability, customer commitments, and program timelines.
Use the complete checklist to evaluate whether your current partner or in-house team has the coverage, capacity, and accountability to support your next international defense opportunity.
Bring it to your next partner evaluation, internal review, or industry event conversation.
Get the Checklist
This checklist is built for defense companies that need to evaluate whether their current global trade support can keep pace with the business.
It is especially useful if you are: