ARSA Cautions Clinton on Aviation Exports
June 09, 2010
ALEXANDRIA, VA, June 9, 2010 – The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) has told the Obama administration that legislation pending on Capitol Hill threatens to undermine the global competitiveness of the U.S. aerospace industry.
In a letter sent yesterday to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, ARSA Executive Vice President Christian A. Klein warned that proposed language in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill will obstruct aviation maintenance exports and hinder the ability of U.S. companies to compete internationally. In a recent visit to the Boeing maintenance facility at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, Secretary Clinton acknowledged aerospace is the United States’ leading export.
Klein praised the Obama administration’s commitment to strengthening the U.S. economy through the National Export Initiative (NEI), but said the pending legislation is contrary to that effort.
ARSA asserts that provisions in the House legislation requiring the FAA to inspect foreign repair stations twice annually and imposing mandatory drug and alcohol testing on overseas repair stations will violate international accords, resulting in retaliatory measures by key trading partners. Furthermore, the House bill fails to recognize our longstanding U.S.-Canada Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), which treats certification granted by Transport Canada to an Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) as the equivalent of FAA approval.
In the letter, Klein urged Secretary Clinton to weigh-in with Congress and “ensure that the requirements and recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) be allowed to dictate international safety and security laws and regulations.”
To read the full text of the letter click here.
###
ARSA is an Alexandria, Virginia-based trade association that represents aviation maintenance and manufacturing companies. The association has a distinguished 25-year record of advocating for repair stations and providing regulatory compliance assistance to the industry.
More from ARSA
On Demand Workshop – Administrative Agencies
July 28, 2026 | Categories:
ARSA News & Updates, ARSA Works, FAA, Maintenance, Operations, Regulatory, Training
The recording of ARSA’s special workshop overviewing the construction and authorities of American administrative agencies is now available on demand. The resource was presented to FAA personnel as part of…Read More
Push Congress to Invest in Skills Training
ARSA members with U.S. facilities are encouraged to support a Business Leaders United letter to support a letter from employers with U.S. facilities urging congressional leaders to invest in skills…Read MoreConvincing FAA of its D&A Authority
July 28, 2026 | Categories:
Act Now, ARSA News & Updates, ARSA Works, Aviation Policy, Drug and Alcohol, EASA, FAA, Legislative, Operations, Press Releases, Regulatory, Rulemaking
As the FAA reported at the 2026 FAA/EASA International Safety Conference in June, the agency’s Drug Abatement Division continues its work on implementation guidance for new drug and alcohol testing…Read More
