FAIR Trade Group Takes BATFE to Court Over Imported Barrels

Brian McCombie

14 years ago

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The FAIR Trade Group has announced that it will sue the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) over the agency’s recent prohibition against the importation of numerous firearm barrels. FAIR Trade group is a 501(c)(6) organization that protects the interests of firearms and ammunition importers.

According to a FAIR Trade press release, “The BATFE [recently] reversed years of statutory interpretation of the Gun Control Act and is acting in conflict with published implementing regulations regarding the importability of certain firearms barrels. BATFE is enforcing the new interpretation of the law without any change to the regulations.”

The release continued, “FAIR Trade Group members, other firearm importers and the customers seeking to buy imported goods have been directly harmed by the actions of BATFE to prohibit the importation of barrels that can be assembled into sporting firearms or used as replacement barrels for legally owned firearms. Importers not only lost access to marketable goods but were also left with goods in transit and goods overseas that lost value.

Firearms owners, collectors and potential buyers were denied access to these goods which, in many cases, have no available replacement.”

FAIR Trade also argued that BATFE made this and other changes to firearms importation regulations without offering any underlying justifications, and in doing so did not provide appropriate and required notice and comment periods.

Source: FAIR Trade Group 2/24/11

Learn more about the FAIR Trade Group

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