Leading to frequent shooting incidents in other countries and record breaking gun exports, [Perspective] US media: US government aiding in bullying the US | Firearms | Exports

Photo China Daily, July 26. The Bloomberg website of the United States reported on the 25th that in recent years, the number of semi-automatic pistols and rifles exported by American gun manufacturers overseas has been increasing. With the help of the U.S. government, the international sales of rapid-fire weapons Reach a record level.

After the expiration of the offensive weapons ban in 2004, the US business and political circles joined forces to expand the overseas sales market of weapons. Since gun manufacturers won a decade long struggle to simplify export approvals in 2020, this situation has reached a new height. Semiautomatic firearms made in the United States continue to flow into some countries, from Canada, which has relatively strict regulations, to Guatemala, where firearms often enter the hands of criminals.

Despite the massive shootings in the United States shocking the world and the rising gun crime rates in many importing countries, the US Department of Commerce still plays the role of a booster and steward in the firearms industry. Department of Commerce employees help attract foreign buyers to the firearms industry, accompany them to attend the top firearms industry exhibitions held annually in Las Vegas, and provide an online portal to connect them with American firearms manufacturers.

Since the expiration of the ban on offensive weapons, the total export volume of semi-automatic handguns has reached 3.7 million, more than doubling in the past six years. In absolute numbers, exports are still only a small part of domestic sales in the United States, but the impact of these firearms on recipient countries is enormous.

No company has worked harder to promote gun exports from the United States than Sigsall America, and no company has benefited more from the growth of gun exports from the United States. In the past two decades, the company has transformed from a niche manufacturer of hunting rifles and high-end pistols to a large-scale producer of inexpensive rapid fire weapons in the United States. Sigsall has established close relationships with American politicians. The company utilized its relationship with a senior official in the Trump administration to help drive a key regulatory reform in the firearms industry, providing more convenience for overseas buyers: shifting regulation of small arms exports from the State Council to the business friendly Ministry of Commerce.

Not only that, Sigsall and other American gun manufacturers also benefited from the Democratic government. In 2014, during the second term of the Obama administration, the Department of Commerce began providing VIP treatment to foreign buyers at the Las Vegas Trade Show. After Biden took office, the export dividend of these companies continued.

A spokesperson for the National Security Council stated that the United States is reviewing gun export applications to restrict illegal trafficking and transfer of firearms. Due to the rarity of criminal firearms being traced to their source, it is currently unclear how many legally exported American firearms ultimately fall into the hands of criminals. A recent federal study found that 11% of firearms found and tracked at crime scenes abroad are legally exported firearms from the United States.

In order to promote overseas offensives, the firearms industry seeks to weaken gun control laws through political allies and carries out promotional activities in other countries, especially Latin America, to support firearms. At the same time, regulatory changes supported by the firearms industry have weakened Congress's ability to monitor gun manufacturers' overseas sales.

"We have clearly defined our development path in emerging markets and developing countries. Today, Sigsall has become the largest exporter of firearms in the United States, selling over 935000 firearms in the past decade," said Sigsall CEO Cohen in 2010

Ten years ago, Sig Shaoer set his sights on Thailand. Thailand's gun laws are very strict; Purchasing firearms requires one license, and holding firearms requires another license. It may take over a year to complete the relevant process, and buyers must have their bosses or other authorities prove that they are suitable for owning firearms.

But there is a loophole in this. The welfare gun program in the country aims to allow police and government officials to purchase firearms at much cheaper prices than in the retail market. The government negotiated price discounts with manufacturers, eliminating most of the routine paperwork required by retailers. Ordinary police officers stated that they needed this plan because the firearms in their department were already in a state of disrepair, so Sigeshal took the opportunity to sell them through the welfare firearms program. Some police officers resell subsidized firearms to friends or the black market in order to make substantial profits.

According to an investigation by the Thai police, in the past six years, Sikhshor has transported hundreds of thousands of firearms to Thailand, fueling corruption and arms trafficking, while also arming criminal groups.

The firearms used by the gunmen in multiple Thai shooting cases are related to the manufacturing of Sikhshor. It is difficult to quantify the role of firearms manufactured by the company in gun crimes in Thailand using existing data from the Thai police. Data shows that the number of cases involving firearms increased by 43% from 34043 in 2016 to 48509 in 2021, roughly the same period as the influx of handguns into the country in the United States.