Special Relationship

During a press conference this week with British Prime Minister David Cameron at the White House, President Obama voiced his support for quick ratification of the U.S.-UK Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty, saying his "administration is working hard with the Senate to move forward as soon as possible with our defense trade treaty with the U.K., which will be good for our workers and our troops in both our countries."

That remark was welcomed by Marion Blakey, the head of the Aerospace Industries Association, who in a statement released today said:

The U.S.-UK and U.S.-Australia Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties were negotiated and signed in 2007.  As made clear by U.K. Defence Secretary Liam Fox, our closest allies are running out of patience on this issue.

Ratification of these treaties goes hand-in-hand with the Obama administration’s plan to modernize export controls.  Our industry, with about 820,000 employees and 30,000 suppliers from all 50 states strongly supports efforts to ease restrictions on American companies as we work to equip our closest friends and allies with the technology that allows their troops to stand with ours to defend our mutual interests.

Ratifying these treaties is important for both national security and economic stability in the United States.  We strongly urge the Senate to ratify the U.S.-UK and U.S.-Australia Defense Trade Cooperation Treaties as soon as possible.

In January, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn discussed the treaty in a speech before the British House of Commons in London:

By reducing the need for individual export licenses, the treaty will allow greater exchange of defense goods, services, and information. Companies in the US and UK will be able to collaborate more easily. Our governments can focus on developing critical technologies instead of pushing licenses through bureaucratic labyrinths. Legally enforceable safeguards will ensure the integrity of sensitive materials transferred under the treaty, and each country will retain the right to unilaterally exempt technologies from its provisions. Ratifying the treaty, as we say in American-English, is a "no-brainer."