WEBVTT - Larry Culp GE CEO Talks Tariff Prices

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. Larry Cup, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>is the CEO of GE Aerospace. It's always fantastic to

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<v Speaker 1>catch up with him. Let's kick the conversation off. Larry,

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<v Speaker 1>good morning, nice to see thanks for making the time.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's talk about the conversation that is happening in the

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<v Speaker 1>halls here in New Delhi, and that is about where

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<v Speaker 1>the tariffs mean price rises. Is that conversation already beginning.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we've been talking to customers throughout the weekend here

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<v Speaker 2>at IATA about the US trade policies and really what

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<v Speaker 2>we've tried to do, guys just remind everybody that what

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<v Speaker 2>we've been advocating.

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<v Speaker 3>For is a return to where we were on.

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<v Speaker 2>The heels of nineteen seventy nine Civil Aviation Agreement, which

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<v Speaker 2>really provided terror free trade. Yeah, amongst all the signataries,

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<v Speaker 2>that was a positive for the US heerospace industry. I

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<v Speaker 2>think that is why the US enjoys a seventy five

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<v Speaker 2>billion dollar annual trade surplus today. But we'll see how

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<v Speaker 2>that plays out. There's a series of biladeral negotiations that

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<v Speaker 2>are acting.

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<v Speaker 3>Of what we've.

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<v Speaker 2>Shared with customers and with our investors is we think

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<v Speaker 2>we've got about a five hundred million dollar residual cost

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<v Speaker 2>challenge as a result of those tariffs.

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<v Speaker 3>There are a whole host of things we've done with

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<v Speaker 3>our supply chain.

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<v Speaker 2>We're exercising the duty drawback options and the like, but

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<v Speaker 2>we will be taking cost actions and passing along some

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<v Speaker 2>of that residual.

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<v Speaker 3>You're already saying.

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<v Speaker 1>It on you. It's already starting to IMPACTE you a.

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<v Speaker 3>Business very much, so very much.

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<v Speaker 2>So that's why we're managing it as best we can,

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<v Speaker 2>mitigating it where we can through those supply chain improvements,

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<v Speaker 2>but also through the costs and price actions.

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<v Speaker 3>I referenced a moment ago.

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<v Speaker 1>And customers are saying what they're saying, you need to

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<v Speaker 1>do it, or you need to take that cost, or

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<v Speaker 1>we can take some of it, or come on, how

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<v Speaker 1>does that conversation go? Well?

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<v Speaker 3>I hate the conversation really starts back with advocacy.

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<v Speaker 2>I think we've worked very well with our airline customers,

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<v Speaker 2>with our airframe or partners, making sure that the industry

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<v Speaker 2>you're really speaking with one voice at this point in time,

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<v Speaker 2>because so many people, I think, believe that the prior regime.

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<v Speaker 3>Really benefited the industry.

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<v Speaker 2>In turn, we're helping make sure that everyone understands what

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<v Speaker 2>we're doing, both operationally to mitigate but also again the

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<v Speaker 2>cost actions that we're taking. You have to make sure

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<v Speaker 2>that we're buffering that as best we can.

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<v Speaker 1>Your hope would be that you would go back to

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<v Speaker 1>that original agreement. I eat no tariffs on the kind

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<v Speaker 1>of products that you make, But at the moment, it

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<v Speaker 1>looks like ten percent is the minimum the Trump administration

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<v Speaker 1>is talking about. Is that now the base case?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we're continuing to advocate a full throated way, guy

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<v Speaker 2>for something akin to where we were with the seventy

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<v Speaker 2>nine agreement. Through these bilaterals, right, the US struck at

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<v Speaker 2>a bilateral, the UK others are at active. I think

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<v Speaker 2>June will be an important month in this regard, but

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<v Speaker 2>that's really where we are.

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<v Speaker 1>In terms of kind of where that takes the industry. Next.

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<v Speaker 1>Are we going to get a situation where we end

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<v Speaker 1>up with uneven playing fields in terms of how you

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<v Speaker 1>deal with different customers in different parts of the globe.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I think it's probably too early to tell.

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<v Speaker 2>Guy. Again, I think we want to make sure we're

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<v Speaker 2>advocating as forcefully as we can taking the mitigation actions

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<v Speaker 2>be they operational, be they cost oriented to the full

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<v Speaker 2>extent possible, and then we'll see how things play out.

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<v Speaker 1>You're watching for, as you say, a fluid environment, but

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<v Speaker 1>the European Union has obviously got to be a big

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<v Speaker 1>kind of pass of this very much.

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<v Speaker 2>So again, I think what we're looking for is to

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<v Speaker 2>see how the negotiations play out. The July eighth date,

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<v Speaker 2>I think looms so here we are in the final

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<v Speaker 2>month in the run up to that. I know the

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<v Speaker 2>US government is actively engaged with multiple trading partners. Let's

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<v Speaker 2>see how those negotiations play out.

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<v Speaker 1>In terms of other factors that kind of work around this.

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<v Speaker 1>One of the other things that we're seeing as a

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<v Speaker 1>sort of derivative of what is happening in Washington right now,

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<v Speaker 1>is it appreciating dollar. How does that affect your business?

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<v Speaker 1>Are you already started to see the effect of it?

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<v Speaker 1>Is there a translation effect that we should be looking

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<v Speaker 1>out for.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think that's really a material issue for US

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<v Speaker 2>guy in Marge part because we transact both with our

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<v Speaker 2>customers and our suppliers by and larger dollars, so we

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<v Speaker 2>watch it. But it will be a material issue for

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<v Speaker 2>g Aerospace.

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<v Speaker 1>Working forward from here, we're now thinking about how Boeing

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<v Speaker 1>and Airbus are ramping their expectations. So you've got Kelly

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<v Speaker 1>Olberg looking maybe to go to sixty on his narrow

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<v Speaker 1>body line. He just added another line that obviously means

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<v Speaker 1>more engines. We've obviously got Airbus ramping up. They're looking

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<v Speaker 1>to get to seventy five. How big a challenge is

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<v Speaker 1>that for you right now? Given everything else that is

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<v Speaker 1>going on right now, We've got issues in the engine

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<v Speaker 1>esp in the engine space right now, Like, how challenging

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<v Speaker 1>are those kinds of levels going to be?

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<v Speaker 2>What a wonderful challenge to have, right because be it

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<v Speaker 2>with Airbus, be it with Boeing, they are effectively sold

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<v Speaker 2>out through the rest of this decade. We're fortunate to

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<v Speaker 2>have the leadership position we have both in narrow bodies

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<v Speaker 2>right and in wide bodies.

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<v Speaker 3>So we know we're going to.

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<v Speaker 2>Have to do more in the back half of this

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<v Speaker 2>year than we will do in the first half. We'll

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<v Speaker 2>have to do more in twenty six than we did

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<v Speaker 2>it in twenty five. But that's really for us, the

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<v Speaker 2>benefit of this one hundred and seventy billion dollars backlog

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<v Speaker 2>that we enjoy so operationally.

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<v Speaker 3>There's a lot that we're doing guy to make sure we're.

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<v Speaker 2>Going in as deeply as we can into our supply chain,

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<v Speaker 2>helping our suppliers identify bottlenecks, resolve those as quickly as

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<v Speaker 2>we can, and build the skills and build the cake

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<v Speaker 2>capacity for what's going to be required.

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<v Speaker 1>As we those two factor is interacting the tariffs and

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<v Speaker 1>what's happening in the supply chain. How much more complexity

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<v Speaker 1>is being added not taken away right now?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, it is what it is, right.

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<v Speaker 2>I think we've long embraced the idea that we have

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<v Speaker 2>to recognize and embrace the reality that we have, and

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<v Speaker 2>that's the world that we're operating within. I'm encouraged just

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<v Speaker 2>looking at what we did in April and May, for example,

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<v Speaker 2>we saw a double digit increase and the receipts that

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<v Speaker 2>we get from our key pacing suppliers compared to where

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<v Speaker 2>they were in the first quarter. So the actions that

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<v Speaker 2>are within our control I think are bearing fruit. We

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<v Speaker 2>need to sustain that and build on that over time,

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<v Speaker 2>and that's how we'll keep pace with Airbus, with Boeing,

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<v Speaker 2>with the airlines and everyone else that rely on on

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<v Speaker 2>g Aerospace.

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<v Speaker 1>A couple of quick questions. First one is there is

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of concern obviously in Washington, d C. At

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<v Speaker 1>the moment, your hometown, from around the issue of the deficit.

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<v Speaker 1>G is a US government customer, is a US government

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<v Speaker 1>contractor the US government is the customer. How carefully do

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<v Speaker 1>you watch what is happening in terms of the ability

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<v Speaker 1>of the US government to continue to spend at the

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<v Speaker 1>kind of levels that it is. As the CEO of

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<v Speaker 1>G Aerospace.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, we watch it with interest. As you would imagine.

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<v Speaker 2>Most of what we do for the US government is

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<v Speaker 2>through the Department of Defense, and we're pleased to be

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<v Speaker 2>the supplier on two thirds of the US combat jet

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<v Speaker 2>and rotary craft force. There's a lot that's coming as

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<v Speaker 2>if the President looks to expand the defense budget, we

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<v Speaker 2>think that is relevant step for what we do from

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<v Speaker 2>an R and D perspective, from what we do from

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<v Speaker 2>a next gen sixth generation combat perspective. So we're very

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<v Speaker 2>focused on those products to those customers, mindful of the

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<v Speaker 2>of the macro intact you.

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<v Speaker 1>Talk about the customers. There is a concern clearly beginning

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<v Speaker 1>to sort of grow in Washington about technology transfer when

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<v Speaker 1>it comes to jet engines. Do you expect therefore to

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<v Speaker 1>see greater and greater restrictions into the Chinese market as

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<v Speaker 1>a result of that.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we'll see how the trade policies play out. I

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<v Speaker 2>think that that has always been from.

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<v Speaker 1>Trade or is it also national security as well?

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<v Speaker 2>I think I think there is an intersection there, But

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<v Speaker 2>that has been the case for some time with respect

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<v Speaker 2>to what we do. There's a rather rigorous process that

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<v Speaker 2>we've gone through for years with the US government with

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<v Speaker 2>respect to what we're able to export. I think that

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<v Speaker 2>that continues. It might get dialed up, is your question suggests.

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<v Speaker 2>But that doesn't bother us. We welcome the scrutiny. We're

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<v Speaker 2>going to continue to invest in leading edge products.

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<v Speaker 1>Talking of leading edge products, we have one behind us.

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<v Speaker 1>Were going back to a work so basically, just to

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<v Speaker 1>explain we are up until now, jet edge of have

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<v Speaker 1>had a sort of casing around them, but we're moving

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<v Speaker 1>away from that. Now we're going to go to super

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<v Speaker 1>high bypass engines. We're going back to propel us. Basically,

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<v Speaker 1>is that what the next generation of aircraft is going

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<v Speaker 1>to look like? Is it going to have these kinds

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<v Speaker 1>of engines behind you attached to them?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, guy, that we're going to go forward with this

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<v Speaker 2>sort of architecture, and you describe well the open fan effort,

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<v Speaker 2>which is a key part of our Rise technology development program.

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<v Speaker 3>This is really.

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<v Speaker 2>Technology, not a product thus far, but we think this

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<v Speaker 2>is the architecture is you just described that really will

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<v Speaker 2>really rely on the propulsive efficiency more so than the

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<v Speaker 2>thermal efficiency of the engine to bring that next step

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<v Speaker 2>function improvement in fuel efficiency in the latter part of

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<v Speaker 2>the twenty thirties. So we're excited about this. It's been

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<v Speaker 2>a fuffal point in.

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<v Speaker 3>All of our customer conversations here at Ayada.

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<v Speaker 1>Great to see Larry, Thanks very much indeed for making

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<v Speaker 1>some time for us here on Blomberg. Fantastic to see you,

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<v Speaker 1>Larry Culp, the CEO of ge Aerospace, Thank you very much, indeed,