British armed police officers patrol amongst U.S. military aricraft at the Farnborough Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain July 16, 2018. (REUTERS Photo)

WASHINGTON, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department said on Monday that President Donald Trump has approved a plan to facilitate U.S. conventional arms transfer.

In a statement, the State Department said the plan, requested by Trump, was part of the Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) Policy and was approved by Trump on July 13.

"In line with the U.S. National Security Strategy, these documents lay out a whole-of-government strategy to better align our conventional arms transfers with our national security and economic interests," read the statement.

The plan also aimed to improve the U.S. ability to compete with "adversaries" by providing allies and partners with alternatives to foreign defense articles "in order to maintain U.S. influence in key regions."

Efforts were highlighted to expand and enhance U.S. government advocacy and trade promotion to support its defense industry, and to explore mechanisms to reduce financial barriers to the procurement of American defense goods and services.

Since taking office in 2017, Trump has repeatedly urged to speed up the U.S. arms sale process. The bid has been widely seen as a gesture to win support from arms-producing companies, reverse U.S. trade deficit and boost domestic jobs.