Notice

NTE 2024/09: update on AUKUS

Published 1 May 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-to-exporters-202409-update-on-aukus/nte-202409-update-on-aukus

Introduction

This notice is to update exporters on progress with export control reforms between the AUKUS partner nations, providing for new export authorisations between and amongst AUKUS nations.

Agreed actions of the AUKUS nations

  1. AUKUS is a trilateral defence partnership between Australia, the UK and the US which was announced in September 2021. It consists of 2 pillars and has been designed to allow the 3 nations to cooperate closely on defence capabilities. These capabilities include submarine technology and cutting-edge advanced features such as artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.

  2. To help deliver the AUKUS Partnership, the AUKUS nations have agreed to reform their export controls to support, to the maximum extent possible licence free trade between and amongst the nations. The US will reform its export controls on defence equipment and technology known as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The US will be publishing in May a draft exemption for the UK and Australia from the ITAR regulations, for an agreed scope of goods and technology. Australia has in parallel passed national legislation to give effect to an exemption of equivalent scope.

  3. The UK will introduce reciprocal arrangements through an AUKUS specific open general licence (OGL) that will cover the equivalent range of goods and technology on the US and Australian exemption.

  4. Certain goods and technology are not included in the exemption and are set out in an excluded technology list which forms part of the OGL and the other AUKUS nation’s reciprocal arrangements. The excluded technology list includes certain items on which there are international obligations and items which the US, Australia or UK have asked to be excluded.

  5. To be able to use the OGL, UK exporters must be on the AUKUS nations’ Authorised Users list. The export or transfer, or supply and delivery, must be to consignees and recipients who are also Authorised Users under the Partnership. Information on the Authorised used list will be available in due course.

Comment on the draft open general licence

A draft version of the UK’s OGL for the AUKUS Partnership is attached below. We would welcome comment on the draft up to 1 July 2024. Comments can be sent to the ECJU contact email address below – please put AUKUS OGL in the subject field.

Draft AUKUS open general licence

Recent statements on the AUKUS partnership

Further information on the AUKUS Partnership can be found in these recent statements:

  1. AUKUS defence ministers joint statement: 8 April 2024
  2. Update on AUKUS export reform progress: 19 April 2024

Contact Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU)

Export Control Joint Unit

Department for Business and Trade
Old Admiralty Building
Admiralty Place
London
SW1A 2DY

Email exportcontrol.help@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7215 4594

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