Citigroup is requiring clients to adopt stricter standards for firearm sales - here's the memo

Larry French/AP

US banking giant Citigroup is requiring the companies it does business with to enact stricter standards on gun sales.

Citigroup CEO Michael Corbat announced in a memo Thursday that the bank was instituting a new commercial firearms policy "designed to respect the rights of responsible gun owners while helping to keep firearms out of the wrong hands."

"Over the last several weeks, I have had many conversations with clients, colleagues and friends who hold a range of opinions on the regulation of firearms in the U.S," Corbat said in the memo. "It is clear to me that most people believe there are areas of agreement and practical changes we can make to find common ground."

The new policy requires its clients to enact the following "best practices":

• Not selling firearms to someone who hasn't passed a background check
• Not selling firearms to anyone under 21 years old
• Not selling bump stocks or high-capacity magazines.

The applies across the firm, including "small business, commercial and institutional clients, as well as credit card partners, whether co-brand or private label."

Here's the full memo:

Message From
Mike Corbat

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last several weeks, I have had many conversations with clients, colleagues and friends who hold a range of opinions on the regulation of firearms in the U.S. It is clear to me that most people believe there are areas of agreement and practical changes we can make to find common ground.

Citi is ready to do our part to help our country move in that direction. Today, I am proud to announce a new U.S. Commercial Firearms Policy that promotes the adoption of current best practices regarding the sale of firearms. The policy was designed to respect the rights of responsible gun owners while helping to keep firearms out of the wrong hands.

This policy will apply across the firm, including to small business, commercial and institutional clients, as well as credit card partners, whether co-brand or private label. Under the policy, we will require new retail sector clients or partners to adhere to these current best practices: (1) they don't sell firearms to someone who hasn't passed a background check, (2) they restrict the sale of firearms for individuals under 21 years of age, and (3) they don't sell bump stocks or high-capacity magazines.

It is clear our current clients care about these issues as well, and we believe we can make meaningful progress together. We have already begun to engage with them in the hope that they will adopt these best practices over the coming months. If they opt not to, we will respect their decision and work with them to transition their business away from Citi.

We have few relationships with companies that manufacture firearms. For those that do, we will be initiating due diligence conversations to better understand the products they make, what markets and retailers they sell to, and the sales practices of those retailers to ensure adherence with the best practices outlined above. We will apply the same due diligence screening to potential clients going forward.

We know that our efforts cannot lead to real change unless we work with others. To that end, we are initiating a dialogue within the financial services industry and with other stakeholders to understand whether there are additional technology solutions or voluntary standards that can be enacted. We know a solution may not come quickly, but we are committed to the conversation.

As an avid outdoorsman and responsible gun owner, I know that some will find our policy too strict while others will find it too lenient. We don't have the perfect solution to supporting our Constitution while keeping our children and grandchildren safe. Best practices are going to continue to change, and we understand the limitations of our efforts. But we shouldn't let that stop us from doing our part.

- Mike
Mission & Value Proposition