Hello, everyone! It is my great pleasure to be here with you today at the return of the Paris Air Show after four long years. On behalf of the Department of Commerce, I would like to thank Tom Kallman and his outstanding team at Kallman Worldwide for their impressive work in putting together this amazing U.S. pavilion – you should all be very proud.

I am very excited to be here as part of a robust U.S. government delegation, and I am so grateful to share the stage today with esteemed colleagues Ambassador Bauer, Deputy Secretary Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary Taylor-Kale, and Eric Fanning from AIA. Thank you all for being here. 

The large presence of U.S. officials, industry leaders, and U.S. equipment here in Paris demonstrates, above all else, our unwavering commitment to the security of Europe.

One of the most important roles we have at the Commerce Department right now is holding Russia accountable through export controls for their unwarranted and unlawful full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine, for as long as it takes. 

While in Paris, I am particularly excited to engage in conversations on some of the most pressing issues we face today: combatting continued supply chain headwinds, ensuring the benefits of trade are felt broadly throughout our diverse business ecosystem, and accelerating the frontier of American innovation in commercial space. 

At the Department of Commerce, we work every day – in partnership with our interagency colleagues – to level the playing field for U.S. companies competing in foreign markets. So, it’s heartening to see such a large number of new-to-market exhibitors and startups in the pavilion this year. I’d like to personally welcome you to the pavilion and encourage you to visit our Commercial Service booth. There, we have an exceptional team of trade and commercial specialists on the ground at the show who stand ready to assist you with exporting to Europe and beyond.

Finally, I want to thank you, our industry partners, for your participation in the U.S. pavilion. I understand this will be the largest air show in history, which is truly remarkable and presents us with a unique opportunity to connect with, learn from, and grow alongside one another throughout the week.

The U.S. pavilion truly stands as a monument to the strength, capabilities, innovative spirit of America's aerospace and defense industry. I look forward to coming together with you so we may continue to support the competitiveness and ingenuity of this critical sector.