The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has retracted restrictions placed during Joe Biden’s presidency on the export of civilian firearms, lifting rules that barred sales to 36 nations previously considered high-risk for weapon diversion to criminals and terrorists. According to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, this action revives the export regulations from Trump’s first term, spurring potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in yearly export opportunities for U.S. gun manufacturers.
This policy reversal aligns closely with Trump’s pro-gun ownership views. During his presidency, he consistently opposed reforms aimed at tightening gun laws, such as raising the legal purchase age, enhancing background checks, or banning assault weapons.
The Biden administration had laid down these restrictions in April 2024, following a temporary pause, to prevent firearms from reaching drug cartels and criminal groups. The rules were expected to curb U.S. firearms exports by approximately 7% or $40 million annually.
As a result of this development, prominent U.S. firearms producers, such as Sturm, Ruger & Co and Smith & Wesson Brands, stand to gain significant new market access internationally.
Commerce Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler criticized the Biden regulations as “onerous,” advocating for the rights of law-abiding firearms users and rejecting what he described as a war against the Second Amendment.
Trump’s first administration had already started a shift in policy back in 2020 by transferring the oversight of many commercial firearm exports from the State Department to the more commerce-oriented Commerce Department, thereby easing and reducing the costs for U.S. manufacturers to international markets.
This change marks a sharp departure from the Biden administration’s approach, which included extra documentation requirements and shortened export license validity from four years to one for countries with less mature export control systems.
While this decision represents a significant policy shift, it also underscores the enduring debate over gun control within the U.S., juxtaposed against economic and constitutional arguments supporting firearm exportation. In an era marked by significant global insecurity, the hope is that responsible export controls will prevent these firearms from escalating violence while supporting U.S. manufacturing sectors. However, the trajectory of these policies will likely continue to spark substantial debate and discussion.