BREAKING: Trump signs the new “Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) policy”, aimed at expanding sales to allies
Trump has signed a US arms export policy aimed at increasing sales to its allies, saying it will bolster the American defense industry and create jobs at home. He has also established a new Administration policy on the export of American-manufactured unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The United States is not only the world’s largest arms exporter, it also outstrips all other defense manufacturers by a considerable margin.
Credit: thetruthaboutguns.com
“The new CAT policy reflects the priorities set out in the President’s National Security Strategy and provides a framework under which all United States Government agencies will review and evaluate proposed arms transfers and approve commercial defense sales by American companies,” says a White House press release.
The Trump Administration’s new UAS export policy replaces an overly restrictive policy established in 2015.
In simple words, under the new policy private US defense companies will now be allowed to directly sell some types of conventional weapons and a broader range of unmanned drones to allies without having to go through the US government.
The administration will also consult with industry partners over the next 60 days to streamline the government’s strategic advocacy role — to encourage US officials to do more to help promote foreign arms sales that align with US interests abroad.
“Under this Administration, there will be no more active advocate for US sales than the United States Government itself,” said a State Department official as reported by CNN.
The language in the new policy announcement is also raising questions about how human rights fit within the Trump administration’s arms sales strategy.
The US government sold nearly $42 billion worth of weapons to foreign partners in 2017, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
The Kootneeti Team - White House Watch
