Trump orders countries that spend more on defense to be given priority in US arms sales

 

US President Donald Trump Photo: Reuters file photo

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to re-prioritize the US arms buyers list, giving priority to countries that spend the most on defence, the White House said on Friday.

The executive order, dubbed the "America First Arms Transfer Strategy," marks a significant shift in US arms sales policy, instructing federal agencies to prioritize military equipment sales to countries that have made significant investments in their defense and occupy important geopolitical positions in the region.

Through this move, Trump is believed to want to speed up the pace of US arms deliveries to allies deemed essential to regional security. At the same time, he wants to increase domestic production capacity by increasing sales abroad. Trump's executive order did not mention any country by name.

NATO leaders agreed to spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense by 2025. They also pledged that if a NATO country is attacked, other countries will come to its defense.

The White House released a statement accompanying Trump's executive order yesterday, saying that future arms sales will prioritize U.S. interests, using revenues and investments from arms sales abroad to build production and capacity within the United States.

The US secretaries of defense, state, and commerce will develop a list of weapons and military systems that will be prioritized under the new strategy. They will also identify countries where arms sales are possible, consistent with strategic goals.

The United States has been selling weapons on a first-come, first-served basis for decades. The only time that this rule could be changed was when certain critical situations arose and a particular country was given priority.

Trump's executive order also calls for streamlining bureaucratic processes, including tighter oversight of how weapons are used and simpler and more transparent rules for transferring them to third parties.

The White House says the previous "Partner First" policy led to production bottlenecks and delivery delays because U.S. production capacity often did not match purchase orders. Through the new policy, the Trump administration wants U.S. arms exports to simultaneously strengthen national security and help revitalize the country's defense industry.

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