Custom Engineering is a ITAR Compliant Fabrication Company: Understanding What That Means for Customers

When a manufacturer seeks to take on Defense-related fabrication work, an International Traffic in Arms (ITAR) registration is often required. Any company involved in the manufacturing process, sale, or subsequent distribution of goods or services covered underneath the expansive United States Munitions List (USML) must register with the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Custom Engineering is an ITAR-compliant fabrication company that maintains continuous fulfillment of the arms trafficking regulations this legal framework sets forth to adequately serve customers in the Defense sector,

This page will provide details about what ITAR does and how it relates to the important work at Custom Engineering. We want our customers to understand in which ways ITAR compliance factors into our work and in which ways it does not. As you will learn below, Custom Engineering is an ITAR-compliant fabrication company that strictly follows all mandated regulations and multiple industrial quality assurance programs. If you are in the Defense industry and need to hire an ITAR-compliant fabrication company, Custom Engineering is ready to review your drawings and discuss your needs.

What Does ITAR-Compliant Mean?

If you have found Custom Engineering, you are likely familiar with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). However, it can be important to learn what the ITAR regulation does and does not do. ITAR is a regulation that Defense contractors like Custom Engineering often have to register for and maintain continued compliance with. The US Department of State’s Department of Defense Trade Controls oversees the ITAR program and ensures that companies under its purview safely handle sensitive data. ITAR seeks to guarantee the safe handling of data by setting rules on how that information is securely stored and shared with other parties. Due to the secure nature of ITAR-protected data, violations of this regulation can result in substantial fines, adding to the importance of adherence. Some of the most common ITAR violations can include a failure to comply with ITAR, data omission or misrepresentation, and any oversight or accidental mistakes that jeopardize ITAR data. Any organization like Custom Engineering hoping to meet ITAR-compliant requirements must consider the following steps:

• Complete end-to-end data encryption practices.
• All those in key management positions or roles must retain complete control over any decryption keys to avoid improper or unauthorized access to sensitive information.
• Maintain secure access control to ITAR data to prevent unauthorized foreign access.
• Implement data loss prevention (DLP) measures to best identify ITAR data and reinforce rigid controls and encryption protocols.
• Continued protection of all ITAR data that prohibits foreign access to email attachments or other sensitive communications.

Which Companies Must Comply with ITAR?

While ITAR compliance is required for a Defense fabricator like Custom Engineering, it is a regulatory framework with a broader mandate than solely focusing on manufacturing. ITAR compliance must be maintained by manufacturers, exporters, brokers of defense services, articles, or related technical data. This means nearly any company in the Defense industry supply chain must register and comply with ITAR, just like we do.

Maintaining ITAR-Registration with Continuous Compliance & Registration

Custom Engineering may refer to ourselves as either an ITAR-registered defense contractor or an ITAR-compliant defense contractor. While both descriptions are true and may seem interchangeable, they are not. An ITAR-compliant defense fabricator must be registered and maintain continued compliance with the regulatory framework and guidelines organized by ITAR. We work hard to ensure that we honor the compliance assurances involved with our ITAR registration, and you can rely on our work to contribute to the compliance of your company’s overall compliance program.

Custom Engineering ITAR-Registration, ISO 9001 Certification, & More

Although ITAR compliance is unrelated to assuring the quality of our work, it is factored into our overall manufacturing process. When it comes to quality, however, there are other programs our various services are performed in adherence to. In addition to being an ITAR-compliant fabrication company, Custom Engineering maintains an ISO 9001:2015 certified QA program, AWS-certified welding work, ASME-certified pressure vessel manufacturing, and more. Custom Engineering has these certifications, which combined with our experience help us to meet our customers’ high expectations for quality.

By completing metal fabrication, welding, and more with not just ITAR compliance assured but quality guaranteed as well, we are an ITAR registered metal fabrication company that can be relied upon for even the most demanding Defense related work.

Contracting Custom Engineering for Large Scale ITAR Compliant Fabrication Jobs

If you operate in the Defense industry and need to contract an ITAR registered metal fabrication company for your next job, Custom Engineering is ready to get to work. In addition to being an ITAR-compliant fabrication company and maintaining various industry quality control certifications, we have a 200,000-square-foot facility and state-of-the-art equipment at our disposal. When you send us your drawings, you can expect to receive a competitive quote with quality and ITAR compliance guaranteed. Given the size of our facility and ability to complete large-scale metal fabrication work, there is an enormous range of work you can hire us to complete. Reach out today so we can get to work on your metal fabrication job.