The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), an organization representing aviation and aerospace manufacturers, recently published a whitepaper detailing the benefits the U.S. aerospace industry receives from the 1979 Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft.
Since the agreement went into affect, U.S. commercial aerospace exports increased by more than 2,100 percent. The industry has the highest trade balance of any manufacturing sector at nearly $75 billion and the second highest level of exports at more than $135 billion.
The paper also highlights the agreement’s role in aviation safety and how the aerospace industry aligns with the Trump administration’s vision for a “production economy.”
“American aerospace is the perfect example of a sector where America is dominant in large part because of balanced, reciprocal trade,” AIA Vice President of International Affairs Dak Hardwick said. “The little-known Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft has unlocked enormous benefits for the American workers, the economy, and our ongoing safety and prosperity. As the Trump Administration determines a path forward on tariff policy with partner countries, we urge the administration to reaffirm commitments made in this agreement and work with our industry to further expand America’s leading manufacturing export sector.”
The 1979 agreement provides duty-free trade of civil aircraft, engines, flight simulators, and related parts and components.