In a letter sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) executive vice president Christian Klein warned that proposed language in the FAA reauthorization bill will obstruct aviation maintenance exports and hinder the ability of U.S. companies to compete internationally. Klein praised the Obama administration’s commitment to strengthening the U.S. economy through the National Export Initiative, but said the pending legislation is contrary to that effort. ARSA asserts that provisions 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 the longstanding U.S.-Canada Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement, which treats certification granted by Transport Canada to an approved maintenance organization as the equivalent of FAA approval. Klein urged Clinton to “ensure that the requirements and recommendations of ICAO be allowed to dictate international safety and security laws and regulations.”