AIA Welcomes Congressional Action on Satellite Export Control Reform
AIA welcomes recent House action on satellite export reform in the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. The language would return authority to the president for determining export controls for satellites and related technologies and is an important step towards strengthening our national security and opening export opportunities. AIA urges the Senate to address this critical issue and ensure the U.S. space industrial base remains Second to None. With the U.S. national security space budget facing a 22 percent reduction, the increase of commercial market opportunities that will result from export control reforms are more important than ever.
AIA’s recent report, Competing for Space: Satellite Export Policy and U.S. National Security, outlines the devastating impact these draconian export controls have had on the U.S. space industrial base. U.S. manufacturers lost $21 billion in satellite revenue between 1999-2009, costing approximately 9,000 direct jobs annually. These companies, many of them small- and medium-sized enterprises, can only sustain our country’s technological edge if they are no longer over-regulated in legitimate commercial markets. These concerns backed the creation of the 1248 report by the departments of State and Defense who communicate the risks and benefits of adjusting space export control policies required by Section 1248 of the 2010 NDAA.
After the release of the 1248 report, the Senate Aerospace Caucus and the House Republican Study Committee both held informational events on May 7 and 8 to educate members of Congress and their staff on the need to move commercial satellites from the U.S. Munitions List to the more flexible Commerce Control List. Representatives from the departments of State, Defense, and Commerce all participated in the briefings as did several AIA members. AIA members have also reached out to a number of Congressional members and their staffs to champion appropriate export control treatment for satellites and their related parts and components.
AIA is committed to an export control environment that is predictable, efficient and transparent. The language in the 2013 NDAA does include provisions impacting the broader export control reform effort that concern our members, but we look forward to working with the Senate to find a reasonable solution.
Please contact PJ Hart, pj.hart@aia-aerospace.org, Michael Berger, michael.berger@aia-aerospace.org, or Mike Conschafter, mike.conschafter@aia-aerospace.org, if you would like additional information.
AIA Source: pj.hart[at]aia-aerospace.org
