Supply Chain Research

The regulation of handheld weapon and ammunition exports from the U.S. may be moved to the Commerce Department from State. The “normalization” of trade may simplify exports, presumably with the intent to increase their value. U.S. exports of such products reached $1.15 billion in the 12 months to July 31, having fallen 7% on a year earlier. Shipments of weapons fell 17% but ammunition climbed 13%. The U.S. also runs a $1.6 billion trade deficit in handheld weapons and ammunition, so increasing exports should help a key Trump administration trade metric.