Silencing the USML: U.S. State Department Relaxes Export Controls on Firearm Suppressors

Key Highlights & Analysis:

• The Core Regulatory Change: The Department of State (DDTC) issued an interim final rule amending 22 CFR Part 121 (USML Category I) to remove firearm silencers, mufflers, and sound suppressors designed for non-automatic and semi-automatic firearms from the U.S. Munitions List (USML).

• New Licensing Jurisdiction: Jurisdiction shifts from the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), overseen by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) under ECCNs 0A501.f and 0A502.f.

• Executive Order Mandate: This change fulfills President Trump’s Executive Order 14268 (Reforming Foreign Defense Sales to Improve Speed and Accountability), aimed at focusing USML controls solely on sensitive and sophisticated military technologies.

• Health & Commercial Drivers: State Department reassessments cited widespread global civilian adoption, competitive sport shooting, foreign manufacturer availability, and health endorsements—including a 2011 CDC study recognizing suppressors as the primary effective noise control method to prevent hearing loss.

• Key Exception: Suppressors specially designed for fully automatic firearms remain on the USML (Category I(e)) due to specialized military design requirements (such as extreme heat dissipation) and lack of civilian utility.

• Timeline: Published in the Federal Register on July 23, 2026; comments close August 24, 2026; rule takes effect November 20, 2026.

• Link to Federal Registry