The ATF imports division is now extending their definition of "firearm", which is the receiver, to other parts. It's typical goverment scope creep. They are in charge of firearms imports. They were becoming upset because parts kits (which escaped regulation because they were not a firearm) were allowing the "Spirit" of the '89 ban to be violated because enterprising domestic sources were using these kits to build legal firearms classified as domestic from these kits if they used enough US parts. They, unlike many governing bodies that must adhere to the letter of the law, are allowed to intrepret their own rules. They eventually determined that they could indeed effectivly ban certain parts by failing to approve import permits. I believe that they are specifically targeting barrels, not the whole kit.
The funny thing is, that this is still an import matter. A domestic source is free to manufacture the parts, which one is bound to do if demand is there.
ATF politics, go figure? Because anything reclassified as domestic must still adhere to the '94 domestic assault weapons ban. This smacks of political harrasment.
Hey PA: China and some others have specific trade agreements with the US that give them certain access only if they adhere to certain rules. One of those rules for China is that they cannot sell rifled firearms (probably centerfire) to the US. This is Clinton trade policy, not the work of the ATF.