Report: U.S. Firearms & Ammunition Trade Numbers with Canada & Mexico

Trade Deficits
Report: U.S. Firearms & Ammunition Trade Numbers with Canada & Mexico

GREENVILLE, SC and HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA – -(AmmoLand.com)- Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting conducted an analysis of U.S. firearms and ammunition trade data with NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico.

The analysis covers the past 10 full years of trade (2008–2017) and is based on U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) files.

Chart 1: Total U.S. long-gun, handgun, and munition imports from Canada and Mexico, 2009-2018
Chart 1: Total U.S. long-gun, handgun, and munition imports from Canada and Mexico, 2009-2018

IMPORTS: After Turkey, Canada was the second-largest import source of long-guns into the U.S. in 2017, with 234,831 units. Russia, Italy, and Mexico were the top-3 munitions (i.e., cartridges and parts thereof) import sources for the U.S., with Canada in tenth place that year. Total 2008–2017 long-gun imports from Canada amounted to about 2.5 million units and munitions import to about 440 million units. For the same time-period, munitions imports from Mexico ran to over 2.7 billion units.


Chart 2: Total U.S. long-gun, handgun, and munition exports from Canada and Mexico, 2009-2018.
Chart 2: Total U.S. long-gun, handgun, and munition exports from Canada and Mexico, 2009-2018.

EXPORTS: Regarding exports, Canada was the U.S.’s largest long-gun and handgun export destination in 2017 (180,429 and 54,151 units, respectively), with Mexico not featuring among the top-10 that year.

As for munitions exports, Canada was the third-largest recipient destination and Mexico the ninth-largest, with 59,675,049 and 35,405,275 units, respectively.

For the 2008–2017 time span as a whole, the U.S. exported about 1.7 million long-guns, 315,000 handguns, and 642 million munition units to Canada, and 137,000 long-guns, 33,200 handguns, and 188 million munition units to Mexico.


Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting

ABOUT Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting:

Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF) is a research consultancy focusing on the business & economics of the global small arms and ammunition markets. Politically unaffiliated, SAAF is an independent, evidenced-based resource for industry, advocacy, research, and policymaking alike, as well as for financial analysts and members of the media. Among other services, SAAF produces forecasts of U.S. civilian firearms unit sales, nationwide and for most states. Small Arms AnalyticsSM and Small Arms Analytics & ForecastingSM both are legally protected Service Marks of Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting. (Contact [email protected] for sales and other information.)

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Kris Pontonio

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Clive

I am Canadian. I have taught both the Canadian Firearms Safety Courses, as well as several NRA (American) firearms courses and being an IDPA RSO Instructor. When I took my hunter training certification many years ago it was mandatory to be able to shoot reasonable groupings on a paper target before achieving a “hunter number” which was a prerequisite to purchasing a hunting license. The shooting sports are alive and well in Canada. Also, under Canadian law, any defensive item “at hand” when the need arises is legal – including a firearm, if that is the level of defense required… Read more »

Ric Weide

Canada must have no crime or police in ever 10 feet of space. How is it that we hear of crime in Canada that could be prevented by a victim having a weapon to provide self defense? Are not citizens allowed to defend them selves? Only the criminals can own guns it seems. I think that Canadians are not citizens by subjects of a tyrant government. Not a good place for free men!

K. Oades

Do these figures include the guns and ammo “imported” into the U.S. From Mexico by the drug cartels as part of the “Fast and Furious” program of the Obama administration?

Jeff

Chris…I agree we don’t have anti-gun laws here….yet. The Liberal Party of Canada can’t ever keep its nose out of legitimate, legal gun owners’ business.

Ric Weide

I believe you do! It seems that you have to have permits to own in some provinces.

m.

“not for self-defense” = anti-gun, ah

Macofjack

With all the anti-gun laws in Canada how do we export anything to Canada?

Christopher Henry

We don’t have anti-gun laws in Canada. We do have an extensive application process with background, criminal and reference checks. Guns are not for self defense but hunting and competition. -8hr course to get long gun license. (Rifles, shotguns etc over 18″ barrel) -Another 4hr to 8hr course to get a restricted license. (handguns over 4″ barrel, short barreled rifles & AR’s) -No open or conceal carry allowed unless you have a specific job requiring it. -5rd max for rifles (stupid) -10rd max for handguns (also stupid) I have both license types and have every type of gun I could… Read more »

Ansel Hazen

I can only assume you are Canadian and therefore only feel pity for your misguided belief that guns are not for self defense.

Christopher Henry

lol I didnt say I dont think they are for defense. I was speaking to the governments ideals. As with the USA the gov in power is the one who affects change. Currently we do have an anti-gun government who runs on feelings. You cannot go get a license based on the desire for self defense in Canada was my point. You must have a purpose other than defense when applying for a license. We are not the USA so we do not have a right to firearms. Given that fact but all the access we have to firearms (quite… Read more »

Douglas Kuykendall

If you don’t call all in which you just named anti-gun laws, you need to back the truck way the hell back up an learn the meaning of anti-gun laws.Everything you stated is anti-gun

Matt in Oklahoma

Interesting