This section includes documents of American statements on AUKUS. Within these documents, American officials outline the American position on AUKUS in regard to trilateral cooperation, regional interaction, and its success. Many of these statements include dialogue from leaders of AUKUS partners, reflecting the collaborative efforts of AUKUS partners to achieve goals like those laid out in the Optimal Pathway.
Statements from American officials track all aspects of AUKUS integration into existing American institutions of defence and foreign policy. This includes statements reflecting on the inception of AUKUS and its relevance to regional stability, in addition to those discussing how these goals will be realised – from budget allocation to increased American port visits to Australia.
The section also includes landmark strategic and budget documents that have direct implications on AUKUS, such as the National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy, and 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, (passed in December 2023), which included several key AUKUS-enabling provisions, and National Defense Industrial Strategy.36
As a promising step forward for US implementation of the provisions approved in the FY2024 NDAA, in April 2024, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security released an interim final rule that “significantly reduc[es] licensing requirements for Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) to foster defence trade and technological innovation,” which it anticipates “will reduce licensing burdens for trade with Australia and the UK by over 1,800 total licences valued at over $7.5 billion per year.”37
36 “Passage of Priority AUKUS Submarine and Export Control Exemption Legislation by the United States Congress,” Australian Ministry of Defence, December 15, 2023, https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/media-releases/2023-12-15/passage-priority-aukus-submarine-and-export-control-exemption-legislation-united-states-congress.
37 “Commerce Significantly Streamlines Export Controls For Australia And The United Kingdom Advances Goals Of The Aukus Enhanced Trilateral Security Partnership,” US Commerce Department, April 18, 2024, https://www.bis.gov/press-release/commerce-significantly-streamlines-export-controls-australia-and-united-kingdom