The Country Exporting the Most Guns to the US

Special Report

Published: July 29, 2023 4:24 pm

Last Updated: July 29, 2023 4:26 pm

Many of the world’s largest firearm companies – including Sturm, Ruger & Co., Remington Outdoor, and Smith & Wesson – are located in the United States. However, the spike in gun sales also led to an influx of firearms from overseas. The U.S. imported over 6.8 million guns in 2020, up 71% from the previous year, and by far the most ever recorded. For comparison, American arms manufacturers assembled 7 million guns in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available. (Here is a look at the states with the most gun shops).

Gun sales exploded in the United States in 2020, reaching an all-time high of nearly 23 million. Surging U.S. sales were a boon not only for American gun makers, but also for the global firearm manufacturing industry.

Using data from the 2021 edition of Firearms Commerce in the United States, a report published by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 32 countries exporting the most guns to the US. Countries are ranked by the total number of handguns, rifles, and shotguns imported into the United States in 2020.

The largest share of all U.S. imports of firearms in 2020 – nearly 60% – were handguns. Shotguns were the second largest category, accounting for about 28% of all firearm imports, followed by rifles, which made up just under 13% of all imports.

The vast majority of countries on this list are located in Europe, though this list includes some Asian and South American countries as well. Some of the countries sending the most guns to the U.S. are home to firearm brands that many American gun enthusiasts and sports men and women would be familiar with, including Beretta, which is headquartered in Italy (No. 6 on the list); Glock, headquartered in Austria (No. 2), and Taurus, headquartered in Brazil (No. 3). (Here is a look at the 25 counties selling the most weapons).

Click here to see countries exporting the most guns to the US.

32. France
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 1,425 (0.02% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 1,042 (0.03% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 321 (0.04% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 62 (0.00% of all imported shotguns)

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31. Russia
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 1,595 (0.02% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: None
> Rifles imported: 1,595 (0.18% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: None

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30. Hungary
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 2,029 (0.03% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 1,154 (0.03% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 875 (0.10% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: None

29. Georgia
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 2,108 (0.03% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 608 (0.02% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 1,500 (0.17% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: None

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28. Slovakia
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 2,987 (0.04% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 2,987 (0.07% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: None
> Shotguns imported: None

27. Taiwan
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 3,140 (0.05% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: None
> Rifles imported: 3,140 (0.36% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: None

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26. Montenegro
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 3,639 (0.05% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 3,639 (0.09% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: None
> Shotguns imported: None

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25. Slovenia
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 4,902 (0.07% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 4,902 (0.12% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: None
> Shotguns imported: None

24. Poland
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 18,577 (0.27% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 10,286 (0.26% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 8,291 (0.95% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: None

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23. United Kingdom
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 20,494 (0.30% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 65 (0.00% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 11,937 (1.36% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 8,492 (0.44% of all imported shotguns)

22. Bulgaria
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 20,671 (0.30% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 6,937 (0.17% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 13,733 (1.57% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 01 (0.00% of all imported shotguns)

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21. Switzerland
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 21,368 (0.31% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 17,943 (0.45% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 3,390 (0.39% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 35 (0.00% of all imported shotguns)

ALSO READ: States With the Most Gun Shops

20. Belgium
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 23,865 (0.35% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 14,120 (0.35% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 9,533 (1.09% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 212 (0.01% of all imported shotguns)

19. Argentina
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 29,030 (0.42% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 29,030 (0.72% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: None
> Shotguns imported: None

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18. Portugal
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 34,648 (0.51% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: None
> Rifles imported: 34,576 (3.95% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 72 (0.00% of all imported shotguns)

17. Romania
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 38,056 (0.56% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 22,145 (0.55% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 15,911 (1.82% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: None

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16. Finland
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 46,546 (0.68% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 08 (0.00% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 46,506 (5.31% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 32 (0.00% of all imported shotguns)

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15. Serbia
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 46,799 (0.69% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 22,703 (0.56% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 24,096 (2.75% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: None

14. Israel
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 56,893 (0.83% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 41,357 (1.03% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 7,839 (0.90% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 7,697 (0.40% of all imported shotguns)

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13. Spain
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 58,981 (0.86% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 960 (0.02% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 57,506 (6.57% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 515 (0.03% of all imported shotguns)

12. Japan
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 78,869 (1.15% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: None
> Rifles imported: 78,249 (8.94% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 620 (0.03% of all imported shotguns)

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11. Philippines
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 117,217 (1.72% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 113,399 (2.81% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 3,818 (0.44% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: None

ALSO READ: The 28 Guns Used the Most to Commit Crimes in the US

10. China
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 217,462 (3.18% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: None
> Rifles imported: 12,000 (1.37% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 205,462 (10.67% of all imported shotguns)

9. Canada
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 236,427 (3.46% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 3,050 (0.08% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 232,395 (26.55% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 982 (0.05% of all imported shotguns)

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8. Czech Republic
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 275,943 (4.04% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 247,491 (6.14% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 28,418 (3.25% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 34 (0.00% of all imported shotguns)

7. Germany
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 350,291 (5.13% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 274,799 (6.82% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 73,118 (8.35% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 2,374 (0.12% of all imported shotguns)

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6. Italy
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 371,088 (5.43% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 146,565 (3.64% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 48,705 (5.57% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 175,818 (9.13% of all imported shotguns)

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5. Sweden
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 431,787 (6.32% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 45 (0.00% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 1,680 (0.19% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 430,062 (22.34% of all imported shotguns)

4. Croatia
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 521,932 (7.64% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 521,932 (12.95% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: None
> Shotguns imported: None

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3. Brazil
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 1,016,630 (14.88% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 849,700 (21.08% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 120,864 (13.81% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 46,066 (2.39% of all imported shotguns)

Hallstat, Austria (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Pedro Szekely

2. Austria
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 1,284,785 (18.81% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 1,279,123 (31.73% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 5,632 (0.64% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 30 (0.00% of all imported shotguns)

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1. Turkey
> Firearms imported into the US, 2020: 1,490,251 (21.81% of all imported firearms)
> Handguns imported: 415,180 (10.30% of all imported handguns)
> Rifles imported: 29,450 (3.37% of all imported rifles)
> Shotguns imported: 1,045,621 (54.32% of all imported shotguns)

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