The Biden administration furthered its regulatory war on the American firearm industry this month with the announcement of a rule that will permanently extend what was supposed to be a short-term “pause” on licenses for gun exports to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) plans to publish an interim final rule on April 30 that will make it harder for American gun companies that rely on foreign exports to stay in business.
The BIS announced in October 2023 that it would cease issuing new export licenses for some guns and ammunition to review policies that it claimed might increase the “risk of firearms being diverted to entities or activities that promote regional instability, abuse or violate human rights, or fuel criminal activities, including terrorism, extortion, and illicit trafficking of any kind.” The licensing interruption was only supposed to last 90 days.
At the behest of congressional Democrats who blame U.S. gun manufacturers for international death and destruction, the agency began working on an interim final rule that extended the pause and revamped what it deemed insufficient licensing and other export requirements. The new policy also enacts a “presumption of denial” for firearms exports to NGOs in dozens of countries.
BIS claims the changes will “better protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests” by further preventing cartels and other criminal organizations from stealing or illegally purchasing American weapons.
“The days of exporting military-style weapons to civilians in unstable countries are over,” Commerce
