New Trump rules make it easier for U.S. gun makers to sell overseas
Source: NBC News
Manufacturers will no longer need State Department licenses to sell dozens of weapons overseas.
Feb. 7, 2019, 5:59 AM EST
By Josh Lederman
WASHINGTON — Semi-automatic weapons, flamethrowers and even some grenades will become easier for U.S. weapons manufacturers to export overseas under new rules being put in place by the Trump administration and obtained by NBC News.
Under the new rules, set to take effect in just under a month, gun makers will no longer need licenses from the State Department to sell dozens of types of weapons to other countries, including the popular AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle that’s been employed in many of America’s worst mass shootings. Instead, sellers will need only a no-fee license from the Commerce Department, which has a less onerous licensing process and a smaller global footprint, making it harder to track how the weapons are ultimately used overseas.
The new rules come as efforts to strengthen gun control in the United States, a key priority in the Obama administration, have stalled under Trump despite continued mass shooting events. Democrats have signaled they plan to use their newfound control of the House to revisit the issue, starting with a House Judiciary Committee hearing held on Wednesday — the first in about eight years.
The Trump administration first floated the export changes last year, rejuvenating a campaign to simplify export rules that had been contemplated by the Obama administration but then dropped after the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., in 2012. The State Department sent the final version of the rules to key lawmakers on Monday as part of the mandatory “congressional notification” process. They will take effect 30 days later unless Congress takes the unlikely step of passing a resolution to block them.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/new-trump-rules-make-it-easier-u-s-gun-makers-n968601
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