OTTAWA—The federal Conservatives have once again pushed back regulations that would require gun manufacturers and importers to imprint the year and country of origin on their products.

It’s the sixth time the federal government has punted the regulations, which are required by two international treaties, down the road for more consultations with industry. And the government is signalling the current review may result in the repeal of the regulations altogether.

“The deferral provides the opportunity for continued and broader stakeholder consultations, with a view to determining the precise nature of possible amendments to the Firearms Marking Regulations,” a regulatory notice posted Wednesday reads.

“Possible amendments to the regulations, including their repeal, will be explored during the deferral period.”

The regulations are required by the United Nations Firearms Protocol and the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms. Canada is a signatory to both treaties, but has yet to ratify either.

They would require gun manufacturers and importers to imprint the final two numbers of the year the guns were made — “13” for 2013, for instance — and the letters “CA” for Canada on the weapons. The regulatory notice points out law enforcement agencies have said the additions would help trace guns used in crime to their original owners, rather than simply their manufacturers through a serial number.

But Jean-Christophe de la Rue, the director of communications for Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, said the regulations are an unnecessary burden on gun manufacturers and importers.

“We won’t be apologetic in our need to consult on a common sense approach, including the possibility of repeal, that will keep Canadians safe without cumbersome red tape,” de la Rue wrote in an email to the Star.

NDP Public Safety Critic Randall Garrison accused the Conservatives, who have long positioned themselves as a “tough-on-crime” government, of bending to the wishes of the gun lobby.

“This is a very common sense, straightforward matter required by legislation, required by international treaties, and required by common sense, if you listen to police, to help them solve gun crimes,” Garrison said Wednesday.

“They let ideology trump public safety every time when it comes to guns.”

The federal government estimates the cost of the increased markings would be relatively low, up to a maximum of $25 per gun for major manufacturers or large-scale importers. The notice states that some firearm advocates worry the cost of increased markings would be too high.

After the last deferral in 2011, the regulations were scheduled to come into force on Dec. 1, 2013. That’s now been pushed back two years.