Arlington, Va. – Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President and CEO Eric Fanning today commended the State Department on the finding of comparability for the AUKUS nations, Australia and the United Kingdom, and for continued work to implement the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) exemption.

“Today’s announcement signals important progress to enhance defense trade and technology cooperation with Australia and the United Kingdom, two of our closest allies. Both the rule and certification of comparability provide the U.S., U.K., and Australian governments – and the respective industries in all three nations – with the structure necessary to realize AUKUS’ success,” Fanning said. “As AIA has said throughout this process, the success of AUKUS relies on a regulatory landscape that eases restrictions and fosters a trade-friendly environment. Today represents a step forward, and while it’s only the first step in setting the rules of the road for AUKUS implementation, AIA remains committed to working alongside the AUKUS nations to fully realize the potential of the partnership.”

AIA has long championed commonsense regulatory reform to operationalize AUKUS. In March 2023, AIA alongside its Australian and U.K. counterparts released a joint paper outlining steps to reduce barriers to cooperation, including burdensome regulatory hurdles that could hinder the historic partnership. In April, AIA’s Dak Hardwick participated in an AUKUS roundtable in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he urged the United States government to adopt a modern, integrated, and consistent legislative and regulatory framework.