treaty will open door to the us market

May be this is what we have been waiting for.


SOUTH Australian defence firms will have unprecedented access to the US market under a treaty being introduced to Federal Parliament.
Local industry welcomed news that the treaty may reduce years of red tape hampering companies hoping to win lucrative US defence contracts.

Defence Teaming Centre chief executive officer Chris Burns said few SA companies currently managed to export to the US market and this could provide an opportunity to expand.

Australia will become America's closest military ally under the new treaty that will also speed up the flow of American arms to Australia.

It will also enable the Australian Defence Force to operate even more closely with US forces during major exercises and conflicts. Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare will introduce the Defence Trade Controls Bill 2011, to enact the Australia-United States Defence Trade Cooperation Treaty, into Federal Parliament today.
The move is timed to coincide with the visit on November 16 and 17 by US President Barack Obama.

Mr Obama will address a joint sitting of Parliament in Canberra and then join Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Darwin to ratify a new agreement allowing US forces to base equipment and stores in northern Australia. This is the first step in a proposal for a permanent fully fledged US military base on Australian soil.

At present Australian firms are subject to mountains of red tape under the so-called International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITARs, imposed by the US Government.

Under those regulations information and material relating to military technologies on the US munitions list can only be shared with US citizens unless permission is granted by the State Department. The Treaty will remove the requirement for individual licences to be obtained for each export.




http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/treaty-will-open-door-to-the-us-market/story-e6frede3-1226182985243