ECCNs are alpha-numeric, “duel-use” commodity classifications used for exporting from the USA. “Duel-use” means that the commodity has both civilian and military applications. ECCNs are important because they are a major indicator as to whether or not your product requires and export license. Product-based controls on “duel-use” commodities might require export licenses for any country like the U.K., and even Canada and Mexico.

The ECCNs are found on the Commerce Control List (CCL), which can be found here. The list is maintained by the Bureau of Industry and Security, part of the Department of Commerce. You might have to look at it several times to get a good feel of its layout and contents.

There are eleven Commerce Control List (CCL) Categories...

…And five Product Groups.

The ECCN will be found beginning with one of the CCL categories followed by the Product Group letter. So an aerospace technology product might have an ECCN beginning as 9E...

You might recognize the following common ECCNs: 4A994, 5A992, 3A991, and EAR99*

In order to determine if your commodity has a control, you would search the CCL for your commodity, and then look at Reason for Control found just beneath.

For example 3A992 is the appropriate ECCN for certain kinds of oscilloscopes. According to the CCL entry, this product is controlled for Nuclear Proliferation (NP) and Anti-Terrorism (AT) reasons.

It is then necessary to use the Commerce Country Chart (found here) to determine if the country you are shipping to has an “X” in the appropriate NP or AT column. Based on the Country Chart, we can see that oscilloscopes under 3A292 are restricted for NP reasons into Iraq, Israel, Lybia, and Pakistan, and further controlled for AT reasons into Sudan. Shipments of oscilloscopes into these countries might require an export license in the absence of a license exception.

Do not despair if you cannot find your product on the CCL. Many goods are not assigned an ECCN. Bicycles, paper goods, clothing, and all kinds of products are subject to the Department of Commerce but do not have an ECCN. *For these items, the appropriate ECCN notation is EAR99.

Items such as guns and firearms and ammunition are controlled by the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and therefore not part of the Commerce Control List. You can check out its website here for more information.