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AIA ANNOUNCES NEW REFORM INITIATIVES FOR EXPORT CONTROL

March 7, 2001-WASHINGTON, D.C. The Aerospace Industries Association has identified 16 legislative and regulatory initiatives that would increase exports and jobs and improve the U.S. balance of trade. In a press briefing today, AIA President and CEO John W. Douglass said the reform initiatives would save taxpayers money and free up resources to protect critical technologies. He said that the reforms could be implemented immediately and were "do-able."

"While AIA has been pursuing export control reform for several years, this year’s list of reforms is more inclusive and more realistic," he said. "Statements made by the Bush campaign last fall and by some of the new administration’s officials have led us to believe that there is a climate for significant change." He noted that the proposed changes would streamline the export controls system to allow U.S. companies rapid access to the international market for their products and services.

Joel Johnson, vice president for international affairs, said that the current export controls system has "hurt the aerospace industry’s job base, sales base and interoperability with our NATO allies. America’s allies need to be confident that they will receive the items and training they need to be able to fight wars alongside the U.S." He added that these initiatives would allow non-U.S. companies to once again design products with U.S. components and not worry about the extraterritorial reach of U.S. regulations.

Some of the changes proposed by AIA include:

• The reduction of congressional notification for non-controversial sales,
• The elimination of the widely available items on the U.S. Munitions list
• Authorizing allies to retransfer U.S. parts and components if they have export controls comparable to ours, and
• A review of "deemed" export rules, to allow foreign nationals access to products on the munitions list without an export license.

-AIA-

Contact: Matt Grimison, AIA
703-358-1076
matt.grimison@aia-aerospace.org

P.A. Rel. 2001-15

03.07.01