Trump signs order to boost US arms exports, streamline sales
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed an executive order on Wednesday focusing on the analysis of regulations governing the export of military equipment. This move aims to ease the process for large American defence companies to sell abroad, as reported by the media.
"We’re unable to provide weapons systems in a reliable, effective way to key allies of ours, and the key driver of that is inefficiencies and inconsistencies with the process by which we approve foreign military sales," explained White House assistant Will Scharf.
Trump wants to facilitate companies' export of military equipment
During the signing ceremony held in the Oval Office, he added that the order mandates the Department of Defense, the State Department, and other government agencies to change the system of foreign arms sales. This change aims for more effective delivery of equipment, the creation of jobs in the U.S., and increased income for American arms manufacturers.
According to Reuters, the order is expected to boost sales for large American defence companies, such as Lockheed Martin, RTX, and Boeing. Currently, the Arms Export Control Act grants the U.S. Congress the authority to analyse defence contracts based on the closeness of the ally relationship and the scale of the planned sale.
Reuters reminds readers that during his first term in office, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Congress's stance on delaying arms sales to other countries. Some lawmakers justified their actions due to concerns about human rights.
In 2019, Trump drew criticism from many members of Congress, including some Republicans, by declaring a "state of emergency" due to escalating tensions with Iran. This declaration permitted the export of weaponry valued at over $11 billion CAD to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan—countries accused of human rights violations.
Also on Wednesday, Trump signed an order launching a comprehensive review of public procurement programs at the Pentagon. "With this executive order, we’re going to be modernising the procurement structure the Department of Defence uses to allow it to more quickly adapt to changing circumstances around the world," stated Scharf.
