BAFAFederal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control
The Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle, BAFA) is Germany's central licensing authority for export controls. Based in Eschborn, it decides whether exports of goods, technology and services require a license, and it administers EU and German embargoes covering goods, technical assistance and economic resources. Financial sanctions relating to funds fall to the Deutsche Bundesbank.
Why it matters
For banks and companies, BAFA matters most where trade and sanctions meet. Exports of dual-use items and military goods, and many transactions involving sanctioned countries such as Russia, require BAFA authorization, and BAFA takes part in EU working groups and international export control regimes.
Responsibilities in Germany are split. BAFA handles goods-related restrictions, the Bundesbank's Financial Sanctions Service Center handles frozen funds and related authorizations, and customs authorities and public prosecutors investigate violations. A financial institution processing a trade payment may need to check both the sanctions status of the parties and whether the underlying goods require a BAFA license.
Screening that covers parties, vessels, goods descriptions and trade routes, not just names, helps institutions identify transactions that may need export control review.
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