With Looser Rules, US Gun Exports Spike During Pandemic

According to Internation Trade Commission (UTC) data, U.S. weapons manufacturers have exported 83,000 military rifles—among the categories of firearms exports transferred to the Commerce Department from the State Department—during the pandemic, two and a half times more than last year. 

New Hampshire-based Sig Sauer Inc. led exporters by shipping 27,400 military rifles to India worth $28 million, and together with Nevada-based FIME Group, sent 12,167 to Thailand, 10,445 to Tunisia, 10,000 to Oman, 5,002 to Kuwait, 4,812 to Lebanon, and thousands more to Mexico, Colombia, Afghanistan, and other countries.

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The regulatory changes, eliminating the requirement of noticing Congress of licenses granted for large gun exports, were initially believed to support smaller companies in the arms industry by reducing export and license fees. Yet, large companies like Sig Sauer and the Georgia manufacturing facility of Glock appear to be profiting most during the pandemic.

Combined, U.S. companies have exported 220,000 handguns worth $90 million over the past five months (three times more than last year), with Sig Sauer selling $27 million worth of semi-automatic pistols to Thailand and $18 million (51,097 firearms) to Mexico. In both countries, mass shootings and gun homicides have increased to unprecedented rates and led to calls for stricter gun laws.