Trump announces withdrawal of his country from the Treaty on Conventional Arms

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said the United States would withdraw from the United Nations treaty on conventional arms trade, signed by his predecessor Barack Obama in 2013 and opposed by conservative lobbyists.

Trump told the annual meeting of the US National Arms Association, a lobby group, that it would abolish the United States' status as a signatory to the Arms Trade Treaty, which has yet to ratify the Senate.

"Today, the United States has officially canceled the impact of its signing of this bad and misleading treaty," Trump told thousands of attendees. "We are withdrawing our signature of the treaty and the United Nations will soon be officially notified that the United States rejects this treaty."

Trump also criticized the Democrats' proposal to limit arms sales in the country. "Democrats want to disarm citizens who comply with the laws, while foreign offenders are allowed to roam freely without any expense. This will never happen as long as I am president," he said.

The US Arms Association has often opposed the treaty that regulates the $ 70 billion conventional arms trade movement aimed at keeping weapons out of the reach of human rights violators. The association argues that the treaty undermines individual rights to arms, a view rejected by the Obama administration.

The UN General Assembly - composed of 193 countries - overwhelmingly approved the treaty in April 2013, and voted the United States - the world's top arms exporter - to support it despite strong opposition from the Association.

The Convention regulates the international trade of conventional arms, which includes various types of small and heavy weapons, such as tanks, fighter aircraft and warships.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described President Trump's decision as undermining US national security. "Supporting the arms lobby is reckless and shameful," she said.

Sen. Bob Menendez, a senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized Trump's decision as a "blind move" and that it would negatively affect US security.