Commerce and State Department Reduce Burdens for Hunters Traveling Abroad with Suppressors
Safari Club International (SCI) welcomes companion interim final rules from the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security and the Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, which modernize export regulations and reduce unnecessary burdens on law-abiding hunters, sportsmen, and firearm owners traveling internationally.
The rules, which do not go into effect until November 20, 2026, transfer jurisdiction over certain suppressors from the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to Commerce’s Export Administration Regulations and expand eligibility for export license exceptions applicable to temporary travel and lawful sporting activities. Under the rules, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents may temporarily take eligible suppressors abroad for legitimate hunting, sporting, scientific, and personal protection purposes without navigating the more burdensome licensing requirements previously associated with ITAR-controlled exports. Commerce will regulate suppressors as “parts” of the firearms they accompany, and U.S. hunters will travel with suppressors under the same exception as those firearms.
“SCI strongly supports policies that remove unnecessary regulatory barriers for law-abiding hunters while maintaining appropriate national security safeguards,” said Jeff Meyerl, President of SCI. “The rules recognize that suppressors are valuable hearing-protection devices and that responsible hunters traveling internationally for lawful hunting activities should not face excessive export-control burdens when trying to use them. SCI is pleased to have successfully engaged with State and Commerce on this issue on behalf of international hunters, and thanks the Trump Administration for crossing the finish line in this important area.”
“I am especially proud of the SCI team, whose persistence, expertise, and engagement on behalf of our members helped elevate this issue and demonstrate why reform was needed,” said W. Laird Hamberlin, CEO of SCI. “Their work reflects SCI’s unwavering commitment to protecting hunters’ rights and improving the regulatory environment for sportsmen and women worldwide.”
SCI encourages the Departments of Commerce and State to continue identifying opportunities to modernize export controls affecting lawful hunters and sportsmen and women while ensuring that any remaining requirements are transparent, efficient, and appropriately tailored to genuine national security concerns. SCI intends to submit comments to ensure that the rules are efficiently adopted and administered.
SCI is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and promoting sustainable use wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s team of state, federal, and international advocates and inhouse counsel, and its network of 172 chapters, promote hunting rights both locally and abroad. SCI engaged with the Departments of State and Commerce to encourage adoption of these regulatory changes.
