Australian Government News, President George W. Bush and I today signed the Australia-United States Treaty on Defence Trade Cooperation in Sydney.
The treaty will permit the licence-free export of defence goods and services meeting security and regulatory requirements between the Australian and US Governments, and between Australian and US companies.
It will significantly cut red tape and simplify processes for sharing equipment, information and technology between Australian and US defence companies.
The treaty will deliver significant new opportunities for Australia's defence industry to work cooperatively on sensitive defence technology projects and to compete jointly for major defence-related global supply chain contracts. It will boost Australian defence exports, supporting jobs and providing greater long-term stability for the Australian defence industry.
It will speed up delivery of the next generation of defence technology through improved military industrial collaboration, further enhance interoperability between Australian and US forces, and ensure the Australian Defence Force continues to enjoy access to cutting-edge capabilities into the future.
This is a significant moment in trade and industrial cooperation between our two nations. It will complement the ANZUS Treaty, our close intelligence cooperation and the Free Trade Agreement, and is made possible by the unprecedented closeness of our alliance.
The treaty will require ratification in the United States Senate and review by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties in the Australian Parliament.
Click here for a Questions and Answers about the Australia-US Treaty on Defence Trade Cooperation (6 pages in PDF format) on the Australian PM’s website.
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