AIAC Committee Update – December 2018

AIAC’s committees are central to the AIAC’s policy and advocacy functions. Members of these committees provide industry insights and guidance with respect to issues related to specific industry segments or topics of concern or interest.

Members wishing to join a committee can contact Marie-Soleil Jones. If you are a non-member and interested in joining a committee, please contact Bill Yetman.

Market Access:

AIAC’s Market Access Committee was briefed on the existing duty Drawback Program and the Duties Relief program by the Canadian Border Services Agency. The senior director for Trade Rules, Finance Canada, discussed the proposed remission order for certain aluminium and steel tariffs currently being considered by the Canadian government; note that a remissions order was issued on Oct. 11, 2018. Committee members also reviewed the status of exemptions for the UAC-COMAC CR929 program as well as the Pakistan Group 2 export permits. With the support of this Committee, AIAC requested a meeting with the PMO as well as relevant Ministers, with the goal of ensuring that Canadian aerospace manufacturers can compete globally within the UAC-COMAC CR929 program.

Civil Aviation:

The Civil Aviation Committee meeting included presentations by Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation branch. Changes within the organizational structure of this department were discussed. TCCA’s fees and charges in relation to CAR 104, as well as the status of Airworthiness and Maintenance Bilaterals, were discussed. Finally, the Committee was provided with a Brexit presentation created by the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority.

TICA:

AIAC’s Technology and Innovation Committee hosted two successful roundtables. The BCIP/ISC roundtable explored the features of the programs, the important positive collateral impacts of BCIP/ISC, the best practices from other programs and much more.  The Digital Tech Roundtable delved into the future of jobs, unleashing innovation and the ethics of AI. Committee members then held a full day meeting to discuss the outcomes of these roundtables and the future of the committee as a whole.

Space:

AIAC’s Space Committee was fully invested in its 2019 Budget letter.  The letter, amongst other asks,  requested confirmation of the government’s commitment to issuing a national long-term space plan in 2019 that recognizes a whole of government approach to build on current domestic strengths and to position Canadians to thrive in a dynamic new space environment was proposed. Committee members were also encouraged to provide their own Space Budget Ask letters to supplement AIAC’s document.

Small Business:

The Small Business Committee had the opportunity to discuss the variety of services offered by the Office of Small and Medium Enterprise. The various issues regarding cash flow and payment deadlines were discussed in detail. The committee also explored the innovative ideas, within OSME, regarding the digitization of business with the goal of simplifying contracts and accelerating requests. Additionally, the committee met (jointly with the CADSI SME Committee) with the Future Fighter Procurement team who presented plans of engagement; an in-depth analysis of the expectations of small businesses within these procurements was examined. Committee members provided their feedback to the FFCP team and reaffirmed that OSME is a great champion of Canadian small businesses.