The declared war on the weapons industry is in full force, and it shows no signs of letting up. It was announced over three years ago and has been a relentless attack ever since.
The so-called 90-day pause had already been enforced for double that period, and on Friday the BIS issued its Interim Final Rule. This not only made the ban on gun exports permanent but also established new regulations on the firearms industry.
The agency intends to make it much more difficult for constitutionally protected weapons manufacturers to depend on foreign exports to remain viable.
Last October, the BIS announced it would halt new export licenses for particular weapons and ammunition. It claimed officials would examine practices that may increase the “risk of firearms being diverted to entities or activities that promote regional instability, abuse or violate human rights, or fuel criminal activity.”
These supposedly included terrorism, extortion and trafficking. Also established was a “presumption of denial” for dozens of nations.
In the words of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to Reuters, “The days of exporting military-style weapons to civilians in unstable countries are over. Under our new review process, it will be much harder to export these weapons to civilians in countries that pose national security risks.”
The “pause” was only announced for 90 days. And it was implemented under the guise of safeguarding “U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.”
In other words, just another level in the war on weapons manufacturers and businesses.
Immediately announcing its opposition was the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the gun industry trade group. Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence Keane declared the move entrenched the “whole of government” approach by the current administration to greatly weaken the industry’s ability to survive.
Calling the move “without parallel,” Keane explained, “This is deeply troubling, the lengths to which this administration will go to turn the levers of government against a constitutionally protected industry in order to cozy up to special-interest gun control donors.”
As for the “temporary” pause, Keane brushed this obvious falsehood aside.
He called it a “farce” and said it was simply a ruse to buy time for another “wholesale attack on the industry that provides the means for Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights.”
The NSSF studied the Final Rule and found that it establishes three new Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCN) for semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns.
Approval for exports will be determined on an individual basis and consider several criteria. These include U.S. foreign policy, national security concerns, corruption, diversion of firearms and human rights issues.
There is also a list of some 36 nations, predominantly in the Caribbean, Latin America and Southeast Asia, where the chances of getting approval for firearm export licenses are next to none.
The Interim Final Rule takes effect on May 30, 2024. All current export licenses to these nations will be revoked within 60 days of its implementation, and those currently with licenses will need to reapply.
Of course, there is virtually no chance that new licenses will be granted.
Make no mistake, the war on firearms manufacturers and dealers is in full force. There is a clear goal to drive as many as possible out of business through “zero-tolerance” policies, permitting frivolous lawsuits and enacting egregious regulations.
And there appears to be no end in sight.
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