DDTC Open General License Program

ddtc open general license program
ddtc open general license program
Photo by: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Stack, U.S. Department of Defense

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) Open General License (OGL) pilot program has been instituted to ease the conditions under which exports, reexports, and retransfers of unclassified defense articles may be performed between pre-approved parties.  This program was started in August 1, 2022 and will continue through July 31, 2023, at which time the DDTC will evaluate the merits of the program.

This system is similar to programs in Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.  The OGLs pertain to specific reexports and retransfers of unclassified defense articles to support the mission readiness of United States allies.  They specifically apply to trade activity involving maintenance, repair, and storage of unclassified defense
articles enumerated under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Limitations of the Open General License Program

The following limitations apply to the applicability of OPGs:

  • The OGL pertains to the retransfer and reexport of unclassified defense articles to the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia.  It is also applicable to members of the Australian or UK communities and Canadian-registered persons.  All retransfers or reexports must take place within the physical territories of these countries.
  • OGLs are not allowed for items listed in the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) which are now denoted as (MT) in the current version of ITAR.
  • The transfer of technical data is limited to information to be used for maintenance, storage, or repair of defense articles.
  • The original export must have been conducted under a previous license or approval by the DDTC.
  • Current OGLs are valid for a period of one year from issue.
  • Appropriate records must be maintained and made available to the DDTC when requested.
  • Items that were originally exported through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) are not eligible for OGLs.

CVG Strategy Export Compliance Services

Our export compliance team of experts can help your organization incorporate the DDTC Open General License program to facilitate further transfer of defense articles already approved by the DDTC.  

CVG Strategy, LLC is recognized the world over as the premier provider of customized Export Compliance Consulting, Export Compliance Programs, and Training that address critical U.S. Government and Canadian laws and regulations, from Export Administration Regulations (EAR), to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC), Canadian Goods Program (CGP) and other regulatory agencies.

CVG Strategy ITAR and Export Compliance experts have managed manufacturing and distribution businesses and have worked for multi-national organizations.  CVG Strategy’s experts are not ex-government employees, they understand the needs and goals of small to medium-sized operations in managing compliance requirements.  They also have expertise in the implementation and maintenance of a wide variety of management system standards.