Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus Celebrates Impressive Trade Results Under AUKUS Export Control Reforms

WASHINGTON, D.C. ­– Today, Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus, Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, and Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chair Emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement marking the success of AUKUS export control reforms. The reforms were passed by Congress in December 2023 and officially adopted by the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom in September 2024. 

“The historic decision by Congress in December 2023 to reform our nation’s defense export control laws to accelerate a transfer of technology among the three AUKUS nations is showing impressive results. The official start of a license free system in September 2024 has generated 900 export permits from Australia to the United States and the United Kingdom and has facilitated more than $85 million (USD) in exports from Australia to the United States. Over 470 Australian entities were approved under this new legal structure, which is providing benefits for both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 of the AUKUS security agreement. Moving forward, this momentum is going to continue to snowball to the benefit of all three nations, validating the bipartisan effort that was put in by the House Foreign Affairs Committees, the House Armed Services Committee, and their Senate counterparts to swiftly enact these reforms.”

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