Trump administration lifts Biden-era curbs on gun exports, opens markets for US firearms makers

Trump administration scraps Biden-era firearms export restrictions

The administration of US President Donald Trump on Monday rescinded Biden-era restrictions on civilian firearms exports, eliminating rules against sales to 36 countries deemed high-risk for the weapons being diverted to criminals and terrorists.

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security said the move will restore export rules that existed under Trump's first term and create "hundreds of millions of dollars per year in export opportunities" for US gun manufacturers.

The move aligns with Trump's views on guns and ownership. He has been adamantly against reforming America's gun laws, including raising the legal age to buy a gun, strengthening background checks or limiting assault-style rifles similar to the one the gunman used in his attack on a Michigan church on Sunday.

The Biden administration imposed the restrictions in April 2024 after a temporary export pause, with then-Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo saying the rules would limit diversions of guns to drug cartels, criminal groups and gangs. The restrictions were expected to reduce average annual US firearms exports by 7 per cent or $40 million.

The policy change could benefit major US firearms manufacturers, including Sturm, Ruger & Co and Smith & Wesson Brands by opening previously restricted international markets.

Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler called the Biden rules "onerous" in a statement on Monday and said the administration "strongly rejects the Biden administration's war on the Second Amendment and law-abiding firearms users."

The Biden restrictions had reduced export licence validity from four years to one year and required additional documentation, including purchase orders and import certifications for countries with less-developed export control regimes.

The policy shift represents a sharp reversal from Biden's approach. Trump's first administration had transferred oversight of many commercial firearm exports from the State Department to the more business-friendly Commerce Department in 2020, making it easier and cheaper for manufacturers to sell weapons overseas.

The new rules maintain export license requirements for most pistols, rifles and non-long-barrel shotguns worldwide, while allowing long-barrel shotguns and most scopes to be exported without licenses to US allies.

Officials said screening will continue to prevent weapons from reaching "wrongdoers."