Canada bans new handgun sales in latest gun control action - Reuters

Oct 21 (Reuters) - Regulations prohibiting the sale, acquisition oregon transportation of handguns wrong Canada instrumentality effect connected Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, adding that the measurement builds connected earlier efforts banning handgun imports.

The handgun frost was announced successful May alongside projected authorities that would instrumentality the nation's strongest weapon power measures successful 40 years arsenic portion of Trudeau's program to tackle weapon violence, his bureau said.

"We person frozen the marketplace for handguns successful this country," Trudeau said astatine a quality league successful Surrey, British Columbia, attended by household members of weapon unit victims and different advocates.

"As we spot weapon unit proceed to rise... we person an work to instrumentality action," Trudeau added. "Today our nationalist handgun frost is coming into force."

Friday's enactment stops radical from buying, selling oregon transferring handguns wrong Canada, and prevents them from bringing recently acquired handguns into the country, according to the premier minister's office.

Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino called it the astir important enactment connected weapon unit successful Canada successful a generation.

Canada has stricter weapon laws than the United States, but Canadians tin ain firearms with a license. Some firearms indispensable besides beryllium registered.

Canada's weapon homicide complaint is simply a fraction of the United States' rate, 2020 information showed, but is inactive higher than different affluent countries and has been rising, with handguns the main limb utilized successful the bulk of firearm-related convulsive crimes betwixt 2009 and 2020.

Trudeau's ruling Liberal authorities introduced measure C-21 to combat weapon violence, and his bureau said Friday's enactment volition assistance "keep Canadians safe" portion the authorities is debated. In August, it banned imports until the instrumentality passes.

"We've got to get that instrumentality passed arsenic rapidly arsenic possible," Mendicino said, speaking alongside Trudeau.

Under the enforcement action, immoderate handgun applications submitted earlier Friday volition inactive beryllium processed, Trudeau's bureau said.

Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Josie Kao

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