German ministry backs out of US gun show after media reports

Germany's Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action will not be taking part in a major US trade show for firearms, according to a newspaper report published Saturday.

The announcement comes after an investigative report by the Tagesspiegel newspaper and public broadcaster ZDF's show "Magazin Royale" about the role Europe has played in gun violence in the United States.

Among other findings, the report found that the ministry has been involved in organizing a stand at the weapons show for German exhibitors for nearly 25 years.

The stand was present at this year's "Shot Show" that took place in January in the US city of Las Vegas. A current booth plan for the 2024 show still includes several booths for the "German Pavilion," although the ministry has now said it would not participate.

"There will not be another trade fair booth by the federal government" at next year's "Shot Show" in Las Vegas, the ministry told Tagesspiegel.

What was in the report?

The Tagesspiegel and "Magazin Royale" research looked into the German government's yearslong support at the Las Vegas firearms trade fair, the largest of its kind in the US and one of the largest in the world.

The ministry confirmed that it supported German firms at the fair from 1998 to this year, except in 2021 when the exhibition was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement published by the newspaper, the Economy Ministry said "there were no direct payments to exhibitors" in the firearms trade fair show to enable their participation.

But the news organizations found there were strong indications of indirect payments, and specifically direct involvement in the organization of the booths.

The ministry was listed as the organizer of the "German Pavilion" and had the final say in which exhibitors were selected to participate. The ministry and the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA) also did the final accounting.

In order to take part in the gun show, the German companies reportedly only paid a partial amount to an external service provider — what the ministry called a "participation fee."

The remaining costs were paid for by the German government with taxpayer money, the report found, citing several people familiar with the events who spoke on condition of anonymity.

What did German companies display at the show?

As for the German companies that participated in the US gun show, the majority produce products that are not lethal in and of themselves, Tagesspiegel reported. Items include gun lubricant, weapons safes and gun sights.

In order to participate in the trade fair, the Economy Ministry guidelines stipulated that German companies could only display items used for sport shooting, hunting and outdoor products.

One of the companies taking part in the trade fair is the German firearms manufacturer Schmeisser, which sells 14 different AR-15 rifle models. While the guns themselves were not on display at the booth — their accessories have been.

In videos of the 2020 show that were posted on YouTube, Schmeisser displayed magazines for AR-15 rifles that, at the time, had the biggest capacity for the weapon — capable of firing 60 rounds semi-automatically without reloading, according to the report.

European firms profiting from lax US gun laws

Although the German government is now pulling its participation from the "Shot Show," German and other European firearms manufacturers have played a major role in the gun violence that has tragically become commonplace in the United States.

The report found that weapons from European companies were used in 45% of mass shootings at US schools since 1982.

According to the latest data from the Economy Ministry, the number of "small arms" (such as revolvers, sub-machine guns and assault rifles) and ammunition exports rose sharply from 2021 to 2022 in light of Russia's war in Ukraine — with increased deliveries to Ukraine and NATO partners.

In terms of major arms and heavy weapons exports, Germany ranks fifth in the world, according to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). It is preceded by the United States, Russia, France and China.

This report was written with material from dpa news agency.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

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