Report: Trump’s plan to ease gun export regulations could help arm terrorists

By Brian Seay

Industry experts say the regulatory shift could mean a 20 percent annual boost in export sales, but a pair of policy researchers warn of risks to national security. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
A report released Monday warns of the implications of a pending Trump administration plan that would ease regulations on weapons exports.
The Institute for Science and International Security released the report, which says the regulatory shift “could contribute to the proliferation of U.S. firearms worldwide to nefarious countries and to terrorists.”
Currently, the international sale of three categories of weapons are controlled by the State Department. But the Trump administration is planning to shift oversight of the weapons, including firearms, assault weapons, combat shotguns, and ammunition and ordnance to the more relaxed Commerce Department.
“There will be more leeway to do arms sales,” a senior administration official told Reuters earlier this month. “You could really turn the spigot on if you do it the right way.”
Industry experts agree. Lawrence Keane, the senior vice president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation said the rule change could boost export sales by as much as 20 percent annually. But in the report released Monday, policy researchers say “the potential risks to U.S. national security are dire” if

Source: Guns.com