Trump orders prioritizing countries with higher defense spending as customers for US weapons

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would re-prioritize the customer list for U.S. weapons in favor of countries with higher defense spending and strategic importance in their region, the White House said on Friday.

The executive order establishing the "America First Arms Transfer Strategy" marks a significant shift in U.S. arms sales policy. It directs federal agencies to prioritize foreign military sales to partners that have invested substantially in their own self-defense capabilities and occupy critical roles or geographies.

The move is intended to accelerate delivery of U.S.-manufactured weapons to allies deemed essential for regional security, while leveraging foreign purchases to expand domestic production capacity. No countries were mentioned in the executive order.

In 2025 NATO leaders supported a new defense spending target of 5% of GDP, and restated their commitment to defend each other from attack.

"Future arms sales will prioritize American interests by using foreign purchases and capital to build American production and capacity," the White House said in a fact sheet accompanying the order.

Under the new strategy, the Secretaries of Defense, State, and Commerce are tasked with developing a sales catalog of prioritized platforms and systems, and identifying opportunities for sales that align with the strategy's objectives.

For decades the sales were delivered on a first-come, first-served basis. This could only be altered after significant hurdles were met and a specific country was given priority.

The executive order also calls for streamlining bureaucratic processes, including enhanced end-use monitoring and third-party transfer procedures, to reduce delays and improve transparency.

The White House said the previous "partner-first" approach led to production backlogs and delivery delays, as orders were mismatched to U.S. manufacturing capabilities. By prioritizing countries with higher defense spending and strategic importance, the administration seeks to ensure that U.S. defense exports support both national security and domestic industrial revitalization.

-Reporting by Mike Stone, Costas Pitas, Christian Martinez, Editing by Jasper Ward and David Gregorio/Reuters