In a significant policy shift, the Trump administration has overturned Biden-era restrictions on civilian firearms exports to 36 countries, marking a return to the more lenient rules from his first term, as The Sun reports.

This reversal, announced by the Commerce Department on Monday, aims to expand export opportunities for American gun manufacturers while raising concerns about the potential for weapons to reach criminal groups.

During his first term, President Donald Trump moved oversight of firearm exports to the Commerce Department in 2020, a change that made overseas sales simpler and less costly for U.S. manufacturers.

Reviving past policies

This adjustment set the stage for fewer barriers in the international market, aligning with Trump's long-standing resistance to tightening domestic gun laws.

He has repeatedly opposed measures such as raising the legal age for purchasing firearms and enhancing background check protocols.

The framework from Trump's initial presidency became the baseline for export rules until changes were introduced under President Joe Biden.

Undoing Biden's stricter controls

In April 2024, the Biden administration imposed new restrictions on firearms exports following a temporary pause, aiming to curb the flow of weapons to dangerous entities.

These rules, according to former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, were designed to "prevent firearms from reaching drug cartels and criminal organizations."

They shortened the validity of export licenses from four years to one and mandated extra paperwork, like purchase orders, for certain nations, reducing annual exports by an estimated $40 million, or 7%.

Commerce Department champions economic gains

On Monday, the Trump administration announced the reversal of these Biden-era measures, restoring the earlier, more permissive export guidelines.

Commerce Department officials, including Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler, criticized the previous restrictions as "onerous."

Kessler also expressed that the administration "strongly rejects what he called the Biden administration’s war on the Second Amendment."

Balancing profit with security

The policy change is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars each year in new export opportunities for American firearm companies, such as Sturm, Ruger and Company and Smith and Wesson Brands.

While most pistols, rifles, and certain shotguns still require export licenses globally, long-barrel shotguns and most scopes can now be sent to U.S. allies without such permits.

Commerce Department representatives emphasized that screening mechanisms will continue to be enforced to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands, addressing potential risks associated with this policy shift.