Friday 27th October, 2023. The United States Federal Government has announced an immediate freeze on the export of all civilian firearms and ammunition. In a statement issued to the public, the U.S Department of Commerce website cited a concern over the “risk of firearms being diverted to entities or activities that promote regional instability, violate human rights, or fuel criminal activities”, as the underlying cause for halting foreign exports.

The ban is said to affect all “non-governmental users”, with the banned items including semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, optics, and ammunition. An exemption to this policy will be granted to certain countries – notably Ukraine and Israel, along with other countries listed under the A:1 country code for exports. While Australia is listed under this code, it may still have an impact on lead times and order quantities for all U.S. manufactured goods throughout this 90 day (+) period.

In addition to the freeze on exports, the U.S. Department of Commerce also announced a review into it’s support for the country’s largest gun trade show – “Shot Show”, which is held each year in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to the press release, the review will be undertaken to ensure that any support provided to the event will not “undermine US policy interests”. Reading between the lines on that statement, it could easily be taken as a new strategy to hinder lawful firearms ownership under the guise of an administrative review. Whether that’s true or not, it’s safe to suggest there will be some interesting times ahead for firearm owners around the globe.