The United States Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration has paused the export of certain civilian firearms and ammunition for 90 days.
The department on Friday said it will review protocols to ensure firearms are not being diverted to “entities or activities that promote regional instability, violate human rights, or fuel criminal activities.”
The agency will assess current firearm export control review policies to determine whether changes are warranted “to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests during the 90-day pause,” the department said in a statement Friday.
“Effective immediately, the U.S. Department of Commerce (the Department) is pausing for approximately 90 days the issuance of new export licenses involving certain firearms, related components, and ammunition under its jurisdiction and the provision of new export assistance activities for such products to all non-governmental end users worldwide, apart from those in certain destinations,” Commerce said.
During this “pause” period, the Department will “further assess current firearm export control review policies to determine whether any changes are warranted to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. The review will be conducted with urgency and will enable the Department to more effectively assess and mitigate risk of firearms being diverted to entities or activities that promote regional instability, violate human rights, or fuel criminal activities.”
International Trade Administration simultaneously will review its export assistance policy to ensure that its export assistance is consistent with applicable export controls and does not undermine U.S. policy interests.
The pause applies to the Bureau of Industry and Security’s issuance of new licenses involving certain firearms, related components, and ammunition controlled on the Commerce Control List.
The pass applies to firearms and ammunition to end-users worldwide, except for Ukraine, Israel and Country Group A:1, which can be found on this government list. Countries like Argentina, Luxembourg, Canada, Belgium, Italy, and Japan are found on the A:1 list. Israel is not on the list and neither is Ukraine, although Mexico is.
The pause applies to semi-automatic and non-automatic firearms, shotguns, and receivers (frames) and ammunition.
