EAR and ITAR are two regulations that often get confused with each other since both are concerned with export for the Government’s defense.
ITAR stands for International Traffic in Arms, it is in charge of regulating sale, distribution, and manufacturing of defense articles and defense services. Meanwhile, EAR which stands for Export Administration Regulations (EAR) regulates commercial and dual-use items and technology that is also used for defense but is not covered by ITAR.
In terms of governing agency, ITAR is regulated by the U.S Department of State (DDTC), while EAR is governed by the U.S Department of Commerce. Moreover, ITAR items are listed under the United States Munitions List (USML), while EAR items are listed under the Commerce Control List (CCL).