A foreign person is a person or organization that is not treated as a U.S. person under the applicable export-control rules. In manufacturing and aerospace contexts, the term is used when determining who may access controlled technical data, defense-related information, software, drawings, specifications, inspection records, or controlled articles.
For ITAR-related work, the term commonly includes non-U.S. citizens or nationals who do not have a status recognized as U.S. person status under the applicable rules. It can also include foreign companies, foreign governments, and other non-U.S. entities. Exact classification depends on the governing regulation and the facts of the access, transfer, or activity.
It should not be confused with an offshore supplier or a remote user location. A supplier may be offshore, but access control still depends on who receives the data and what authorization applies. A person located in the United States may also require review if they are a foreign person. In MES, ERP, PLM, quality, and supplier-portal workflows, the term is commonly tied to role-based access, export-controlled data handling, and controlled sharing of technical information.