Significant changes in policies for exporting firearms and related products to the international civilian market are in process at the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
Nearly all licensable shipments of firearms, optics, or ammunition to distributors, dealers, and other civilians outside the United States will likely be affected. Many have been affected already.
Read this post to learn how to maintain your international sales to 41 countries during this time of uncertainty.
On October 27, 2023, BIS suddenly announced that it had stopped processing licenses to export firearms and related products to international distributors, dealers, and other civilian end-users. The announcement said this policy would remain in effect until late January 2024. Forty-one countries were excluded. They are listed at the end of this post.
BIS’s action means that no export licenses will be issued for exports to non-governmental end users in all but 41 countries until the end of January 2024. This applies not only to newly submitted licenses, but also to licenses that were pending on October 27, 2023. Licenses issued prior to October 27, 2023 are not affected, at least not yet. Exports authorized by those licenses can continue for now.
BIS said the purpose of ceasing the processing of export licenses to the affected countries was for BIS to assess whether current policies adequately protect against the diversion of exported products to unlawful purposes. The announcement did not expressly state that new licensing procedures will be implemented, but it seems inevitable that change lies ahead.
Certain unannounced changes have occurred in recent months:
New rules are unlikely to be announced before the end of January 2024, but there are certain things American suppliers of firearms, parts, scopes, and ammunition to civilian customers outside the U.S. can do in the interim. We are implementing all of them in our own business.
Summarizing the above, make it easy for BIS to say yes to your licenses.
About EasyExport
American companies in the firearms industry and their international partners use EasyExport’s automated platform to do business conveniently and in compliance with all applicable export and import regulations. EasyExport clients include Volquartsen Firearms, Ranger Point Precision, Tandemkross, XS Sights, Griffin Armament, and other respected brands.
Since March 2020, EasyExport clients have grown international revenues and extended the reach of their brands by sending nearly 7,000 shipments to vetted and approved dealers, importers, and firearm owners in over 40 countries.
Learn how you can drive your company’s international revenue growth at www.easyexport.net, or email us at sales@easyexport.net.
For a real-time update on the evolving new export licensing rules, please visit us at Booth 42721 at SHOT Show or in the USA Pavilion at IWA 2024.
These 41 countries are exempt from the halt in processing export licenses:
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom