Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration has declared a 90-day freeze on the approval of exports for most American-made firearms.
The move comes as the Biden admin seeks to target gun manufacturers in the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Maine this week.
However, it’s unclear how restricting gun exports could have prevented the shooting in Maine.
The U.S. Commerce Department declared the freeze late Friday in an announcement seemingly timed to minimize publicity.
The move will also review the department’s support of the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade — or “SHOT” — Show.
“The review will be conducted with urgency and will enable the Department to more effectively assess and mitigate the risk of firearms being diverted to entities or activities that promote regional instability, violate human rights, or fuel criminal activities,” the department said.
This latest federal assault on the Second Amendment will apply to requests to export semiautomatic and non-automatic firearms sold to non-government recipients, Bloomberg reports.
Naturally, it won’t apply to Ukraine, Israel, or some 40 other foreign governments that are partners to the United States in an export-control pact.
However, it will apply to some of the most important markets for the domestic firearms industry, including Brazil, Thailand, and Guatemala.
The move is raising concerns among rights advocates as a strong gun industry is essential to safeguarding the right to armed self-defense.
The Biden admin’s freeze isn’t nearly as worrisome as what new policies may be installed after the review is complete.
Bloomberg, which is owned by Democrat gun control activist Mike Bloomberg, is celebrating the announcement.
The outlet links the news to a series of articles scrutinizing the federal government’s oversight and encouragement of exports.
A key milestone came in 2020 when the Trump administration moved responsibility for approving gun exports from the State Department to Commerce.
One of those recent articles focused on the SHOT Show.
The massive Las Vegas gun trade show attracts more than 50,000 gun company reps, dealers, and individuals from all over the world.
Specifically, Bloomberg questioned the propriety of the Commerce Department’s participation in the SHOT Show.
The department participated via an “International Trade Center” space to host foreign buyers and promote U.S. exports, a practice that began in 2013.
“In the first year of the partnership, Commerce’s Foreign Commercial Service, which operates out of US embassies and consulates, steered 370 buyers to SHOT Show,” reports Bloomberg.
“By January 2023, that number had jumped to more than 3,200.”
Commerce Department employees have also organized group trips to the show from a variety of countries.
Bloomberg complained that “American-style gun culture is starting to blossom across Latin America.”
The report adds that American companies, with Commerce assistance, are pouring guns into violent and volatile Guatemala.
In September, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and three other congressional Democrats sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
They expressed alarm about Commerce serving as a “booster and concierge” to the firearms industry.
They noted particular concern about the export of so-called “assault weapons.”
The letter included 10 detailed questions about the Commerce Department’s handling of its oversight.
The export-approval freeze comes the same week that Biden’s “gun control czar” Kamala Harris praised Australia for its approach to banning firearms.
WATCH:
.@VP Harris praises Australia’s massive gun confiscation: "Let us be clear, it does not have to be this way, as our friends in Australia have demonstrated.” pic.twitter.com/3oKrlqq619
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 26, 2023
Australia’s gun control measures include mass confiscation.
Citizens are also required to prove to the government why they need to own a gun.
READ MORE: New Mexico Governor Demands More Gun Control after Maine Shootings
