Risch on Administration’s Failure to Certify UK, Australia for ITAR Exemptions

BOISE, Idaho - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement on the Biden Administration's decision not to certify the United Kingdom (UK) and Australia for ITAR exemptions under AUKUS:

"The Biden Administration's determination that the UK and Australia do not have a system of export controls comparable to those of the United States is deeply misguided and further delays the implementation of AUKUS. This judgment means our trade with the UK and Australia will continue to operate under the existing ITAR rules for at least the next four months.

"As I wrote in my Defense News op-ed in July of 2023, efforts to compel changes in the regulatory systems of our closest allies constitutes extraterritorial overreach and delays our ability to deter China - the core objective of AUKUS.

"The Biden Administration has received considerable credit for announcing AUKUS, but despite three years of press releases and speeches, the trade pact is still little more than an idea. It is time to deliver on the promise of AUKUS. Continued failure to do so would demonstrate the administration is fundamentally unserious about competing with China."

Background:

In July 2023, Senator Risch published an op-ed in Defense News highlighting the need for the United States to ease defense regulations for allies in order to ensure AUKUS is successful. You can read the op-ed here.

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