With little media coverage or fanfare, more than 50 countries have now – as of late last week – ratified the Arms Trade Treaty, which will come into force on December 24, 2014.  The ATT, which was adopted in April 2014, has not been ratified by the United States.  It was, however signed by US Secretary of State John Kerry in September 2013.  It is generally thought that it will not be ratified by the US Senate for reasons that include a nonbinding amendment passed as part of a budget bill in early 2013 that represented 53 votes against the treaty. The ATT will impact US manufacturers conducting international business – the extent to which remains to be seen.  Domestic Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) already face a number of statutory and regulatory restrictions on foreign sales, including those of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, generally, and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), specifically. In his article on the ATT, “The U.N. Arms Trade Treaty: A Process, Not an Event,” PhD Research Fellow Ted R. Bromund highlighted a particular group of issues that could arise for FFLs out of the implementation of the ATT.  Dr. Bromund highlights a list of potential problems for the US firearms market, described as potential interruptions in market access, component supply, and access to international financing and insurance.  His article, published in the fall of 2013, should now be read in light of the current shift from the theoretical into the practical. Further reading is available in the annual Congressional Research Service reporting series that focuses on US exports of arms transfers by major weapons suppliers to developing nations.  The most recent report, read in light of the ATT development, puts arms transfer values at US $66.3 billion for agreements or deliveries of firearms, ammunition, military spare parts, military construction, military assistance and training programs, and all associated services.  Total worldwide value for the period 2008-2011 was $261.8 billion.