Arlington, Va. (May 1, 2024) – Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Eric Fanning expressed his thoughts on the recently released ITAR exemption rule for AUKUS nations. Fanning emphasized the significance of the proposed regulations, stating, "These proposed regulations are the U.S. government’s most important next step to unleash the full potential of AUKUS." He further underscored the importance of facilitating trade and technology transfer within the partnership, noting, "The future of this partnership hinges on getting this right – and that means making trade and technology transfer easier than it is now."
Fanning highlighted the essential role of industry collaboration in the AUKUS partnership, stating, "As we’ve said all along, deep and enduring collaboration with industry is a cornerstone of the AUKUS partnership." He also acknowledged the efforts of the administration in drafting the regulations and expressed readiness to address challenges such as excluded technologies and territorial restrictions.
Addressing the need to integrate non-AUKUS supply chain companies into AUKUS, Fanning emphasized the importance of considering the global supply chain for the partnership to reach its full potential. He affirmed AIA's commitment to working closely with the Department of State to provide feedback aimed at enhancing the proposed regulations. Fanning reiterated the shared goal of realizing the transformation envisioned by AUKUS, emphasizing the importance of a system that benefits U.S. regulators, AUKUS allies, and the defense industry crucial to AUKUS’ success.
In a separate engagement, AIA's Dak Hardwick participated in an AUKUS roundtable with the House Foreign Affairs Committee in April, advocating for seamless technology sharing and cross-collaboration among the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.