The Trump administration on Monday scrapped a set of Biden-era restrictions on American overseas firearms exports. 

The move came from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which oversees non-military small arms exports. The BIS this week rescinded a 130-page Interim Final Rule, issued by the Biden Administration last April, which imposed strict export controls on civilian firearms and related ammunition and components after a flat 90-day "freeze" in issuing any new export licenses. 

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade group for the U.S. firearms industry, estimated the Biden-era export restrictions cost the industry an estimated $500 million in lost business annually.

“BIS strongly rejects the Biden Administration’s war on the Second Amendment and law-abiding firearms users," said Jeffrey I. Kessler, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security. "With today’s rule, BIS is restoring common sense to export controls and doing right by America’s proud firearms industry, while also continuing to protect national security."

The move allows U.S. firearms manufacturers to better compete in overseas markets, creating hundreds of millions of dollars per year in export opportunities. 

"The firearm industry is tremendously grateful to the Trump administration and BIS officials for their actions to restore American competitiveness in firearm manufacturing and exports to foreign countries," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. "American firearm manufacturing is the worldwide leader, and removing these restrictions will restore access to foreign markets while continuing to maintain adequate export controls to prevent illegal firearm trafficking."

Meanwhile, Bloomberg-backed national anti-gun groups claimed the restrictions helped curb weapons used to commit crime and fuel violence and terror around the world, and bemoaned the rollback. 

"President Trump’s offensive against violent foreign cartels was just undercut by his Administration’s decision to make it easier for them to stockpile arms," said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown. 

Banner image: American Ruger-made Marlin lever guns on display at the 2024 IWA Outdoor Classics trade fair at the Messezentrum in Nuremberg, Germany. (Photos: Guns.com)