To amend the Arms Export Control Act to modify certain provisions relating to AUKUS defense trade cooperation, and for other purposes.

This bill, H.R. 3068, would modify the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) to change how the United States handles defense-related trade cooperation under the AUKUS framework (a security pact among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and related export controls. It makes technical changes to Section 38 of AECA that appear to reorganize and broaden the set of criteria used for AUKUS-related trade approvals, and it revises the policy to be less restrictive for certain high-technology items. Additionally, it shifts U.S. policy away from a blanket “presumption of denial” for Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Category I and II materials when exporting to NATO allies, major non-NATO allies, and the Five Eyes partners. The Five Eyes alliance is defined in the bill as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In short, the bill aims to make it easier to export certain defense-related materials related to AUKUS to allied countries, and it moves toward a more permissive, case-by-case licensing approach for MTCR-listed items to key allies.