About the Office of Aerospace
U.S. Department of Commerce:

The Office of Aerospace is part of the International Trade Administration, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Office of Aerospace monitors the implementation of trade agreements that are specific to the aerospace industry; identifies constraints on the trade performance of the U.S. aerospace industry and recommends ways to neutralize such constraints; monitors and describes the economic and technological health of the aerospace industry in the U.S. as well as worldwide; provides advice, counsel and support for the international marketing efforts of aerospace firms; and sponsors trade events designed to expand and utilize aerospace market opportunities.

There are two divisions within the Office of Aerospace, as well as staff not assigned to either division:

Office Staff

Market Development Division
Policy and Analysis Division

The Market Development Division seeks to:

1.Identify and disseminate information on export market opportunities.
2.Provide market intelligence and business counseling.
3.Assist U.S. aerospace companies in specific and often sensitive international marketing competitions.
4.Organize and manage industry-specific trade events and conferences.

If your company is interested in exporting U.S. aerospace products, the Office of Aerospace offers a number of programs designed to aid the U.S. aerospace industry in international markets:

Aerospace Products Literature Centers (APLCs) - APLCs represent U.S. aerospace companies at trade shows worldwide by distributing their product or service literature and identifying prospective customers. The service is a low-cost but effective means for small- and medium-sized firms to present their products or services to the international marketplace.

Aerospace Executive Trade Missions - Participants in executive trade missions represent small, medium, and large companies. Overseas missions provide aerospace executives access to market opportunities through formal introductions and direct contact with foreign government leaders, foreign industry representatives, and U.S. embassy personnel.

Market Development - While the aerospace industry identifies the markets of interest, the Office of Aerospace provides needed information and data about the market.

Advocacy - In cooperation with the Department's Advocacy Center, the aerospace advocacy program provides timely responses to the needs of U.S. aerospace firms in international competitions.

Industry Liaison - The Office of Aerospace maintains close liaison with U.S. aerospace firms to focus and construct programs that enhance the U.S. industry's competitiveness overseas.

Business Counseling - The Office of Aerospace provides business counseling to help companies penetrate new markets, increase market share, obtain country market information, and/or make contacts overseas.

The Policy and Analysis Division seeks to:

1. Develop and recommend U.S. trade policy positions and negotiating postures for multilateral and bilateral aerospace discussions/negotiations related to the aerospace industry.
2. Provide information and analysis to U.S. exporters, policy makers and trade negotiators.
3. Participate as members of sector-specific trade negotiating teams.
4. Ensure that U.S. policy encourages the competitiveness of the U.S. aerospace industry.

The Office of Aerospace is engaged in a number of trade policy initiatives which are beneficial to all U.S. aerospace companies. These initiatives serve to ensure that the U.S. aerospace industry is safeguarded from unfair foreign trading practices (i.e., foreign government supports/subsidies to their aircraft and parts industries, market disruptive behavior by non-market economies in the space launch sector).

Throughout the initiatives listed below, U.S. aerospace companies are thoroughly briefed and solicited for their views.

GATT Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft Negotiations - The Aircraft Agreement, negotiated during the GATT Tokyo Round of multilateral trade negotiations, eliminated all tariffs on civil aircraft products and reduced the effects of non-tariff barriers in those countries which signed the Agreement.

Increasing the Number of Signatories to the Aircraft Agreement - The Office of Aerospace identifies countries that are participants or potential participants in the globalization of the world's aerospace industry (i.e., Brazil, Indonesia) and encourages them to sign the agreement to abide by consensus.

Bilateral United States-European Union Agreement on Trade in Large Civil Aircraft. The Office of Aerospace participates in semi-annual consultations, led by the Office of United States Trade Representative (USTR) with the Commission of the European Union concerning the implementation of the bilateral U.S.-EU Agreement on Trade in Large Civil Aircraft. The Agreement provides a forum for discussing contentious issues before they escalate into major disputes.

Subsidies Code of the Uruguay Round Agreement - The Office of Aerospace monitors the functioning of the strengthened disciplines and dispute settlement procedures of the new Subsidies Code to address WTO member countries' subsidies for aerospace programs.

OECD Large Aircraft Sector Understanding (LASU) under the Arrangement on Official Export Credit Financing - The LASU has been successful in disciplining government financing for large commercial aircraft. The Office of Aerospace monitors the function of the LASU to identify areas where additional work is required, recommending negotiating initiatives to the Department of the Treasury. For example, the use of official export credit financing in leasing transactions is not addressed in the current agreement. The increasing use of leases will require some changes in the administration of official export credit financing. In the meantime, negotiations are at an impasse on the issue of "home market" financing between the United States and the European Union.

U.S. - Russia Aerospace Equipment Business Development Committee (BDC) - The subgroup facilitates and fosters aerospace trade and investment between the United States and Russia. The Office of aerospace works through the subgroup to provide defense conversion assistance, commercial opportunities, facilitate contacts among potential business partners, sponsor programs, and eliminate obstacles to the successful conclusion of business negotiations. (See Aerospace News.)

The Aviation and Airport Infrastructure Sub-Committee under the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) - China - The JCCT develops trade opportunities for U.S. aerospace companies in the Chinese Market (i.e., air traffic control equipment, aircraft and aircraft parts).