ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) is the US regulation that controls the export, transfer of and access to defense articles, technologies and services listed on the United States Munitions List (USML).
Its effect goes beyond US borders: equipment made in Europe that includes an ITAR-controlled component cannot be resold or re-exported without US authorities' approval. Technical data is also covered, which restricts some people's access to information based on their nationality, unless authorized.
For European defense and space manufacturers, ITAR weighs on supplier choices and on the freedom to export. Hence the search for so-called "ITAR-free" products, designed without any component subject to this regulation, often presented as a sovereignty argument.
Why it matters when hiring
In a company exposed to ITAR, export compliance affects hiring: access to some projects may depend on the employee's nationality and require authorizations. Export control and compliance roles call for rare profiles, both legal and technical. For engineers, experience in an ITAR-controlled environment shows they are used to working with these constraints.