BAFA, Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control
BAFA is the abbreviation for the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control in the Federal Republic of Germany. BAFA is a superior federal authority subordinated to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The Federal Office of Economics and Export Control also performs tasks for other federal ministries and is based in Eschborn near Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
The broad range of tasks of the BAFA span across the sectors foreign trade, promotion of economic development and of SMEs, energy, and auditor’s oversight. In the relevant context here, BAFA performs important foreign trade tasks in the area of export controls. One of the focal points is checking whether the exports of goods are subject to license requirements and deciding on licensing applications.
The Federal Office of Economics and Export Control also monitors and implements embargoes and coordinates supra-regional export control bodies, such as, for example, the Chemical Weapons Convention or the Nuclear Suppliers Group. On behalf of the EU, the BAFA is also helping third countries to develop their own export control systems.
You can find more information and tasks of the BAFA across all areas directly on the website of the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control.