U.S. firearms imports boom in 2020

From SAAF

Not counting muzzle-loading or so-called military weapons, Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF) estimates 2020 U.S. handgun and long-gun imports through September at 4.2 million units, a 36% increase over the same time period last year. Third quarter imports alone grew year-over-year by an astonishing 87%.

Third quarter imports sum to 1.8 million weapons, with 92% of that volume accounted for by the top-10 countries of origin. Filling about one-third of 2020 third quarter overall firearms demand in the United States, these countries are Turkey (nearly 430,000), Austria, Brazil, Croatia, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, China, Canada, and the Philippines (nearly 40,000).

Here’s a look at October’s record number of gun sales.

SAAF’s firearms import estimates are based on raw data taken from records of the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). The raw data are difficult to interpret and different analysts may well arrive at somewhat different numbers.

SAAF Chief Economist Jurgen Brauer comments that “over the past several decades firearms imports have come to play an important role in the U.S. firearms industry’s competitive landscape and brand names such as Beretta, Glock, Sig Sauer, and Taurus are well-established in the U.S. market. Imports through the third quarter this year already exceed those for the whole of 2019.”

Chart courtesy of SAAF