Since signing the Action Plan on Civil Aviation Safety in November 2012, Canada and China have worked together to mutually understand their civil aviation programs to facilitate trade in aeronautical products. In September 2014, Transport Canada met with the Civil Aviation Administration of China to further strengthen the relationship between the two authorities.
During Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit to China in November 2014, the two countries concluded negotiations on a bilateral aviation technical arrangement (BATA) for aeronautical products. This BATA, which was signed by both countries in February 2015, will help reduce the administrative burden and facilitate market access for Canadian aeronautical companies exporting aircraft and parts to China, and vice versa.
The BATA covers civil aeronautical product and parts design approvals; production approvals; export airworthiness certification; and post-design approvals. Under the BATA, each party can request the opportunity to validate and accept the other’s design, production, and export airworthiness approvals.
The BATA does not automatically confer reciprocal acceptance or mutual recognition of each country’s standards. Canada can still choose to implement its own certification process for a Chinese part or product, and vice versa.
June 2015
