Published 04:04 IST, November 9th 2019
Trump administration inches closer towards easing gun export laws
The Trump administration has passed a key landmark decision that would make it convenient to sell US firearms outside the US, including assault rifles.
The Trump administration has passed a key landmark decision that would make it convenient to sell US firearms outside the US, including assault rifles and ammunition. According to the sources on November 6, the proposed change in the rule would move the commercial firearm exports from the US Department of State to the Department of Commerce that will be implemented as soon as the end of the year. The new move by US President Donald Trump may generate business for gunmakers such as American Outdoor Brands (AOBC.O) and Sturm Ruger & Company (RGR.N).
The move will indirectly increase the sale of deadly weapons abroad
It will indirectly increase the sale of deadly weapons abroad. This relaxation could increase foreign gun sales by as much as 20 per cent, according to the data of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). While the State Department is basically concerned about gun violence and keeps a curb on weapons deals, the Commerce Department typically focuses on making it easier for US companies to sell products overseas. Analysts said that since Trump took over the office, he has been speaking about the US weapons sales more than his recent predecessors. Any move that would boost arms sales is also likely to earn enthusiastic support from the influential National Rifle Association as Trump's re-election campaign nears.
Lawmakers and arms control advocates have shown their concerns
Some lawmakers and arms control advocates have shown their concerns that any easing of export rules could make powerful weapons and will increase gun violence in the US. They also added that it will be more accessible to criminal gangs and militant groups that Trump has promised to fight. Rachel Stohl, a managing director at the Washington think tank said that the move will undermine congressional oversight, exacerbate the risk of international gun violence, human rights abuses, and armed conflict, and put US servicemen and women at risk from US weapons that have fallen into the wrong hands.
The move was reviewed by multiple US agencies including the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, according to the reports.
Updated 04:04 IST, November 9th 2019