The US administration of President Joe Biden has announced new controls in an aim to curb gun violence involving so-called "ghost guns."

The US has in recent years seen an increase in crimes using ghost guns, which can be bought as kits online and assembled at home.

Buyers are not required to pass background checks, and because ghost guns have no serial numbers, they're hard to trace.

Biden told reporters at the White House on Monday that these guns are weapons of choice for many criminals. He said, "We're going to do everything we can to deprive them of that choice."

Biden said the US Justice Department is making it illegal for a business to manufacture a ghost gun kit without a serial number.

He also said it would be "illegal for a licensed dealer to sell the kits without a background check."

The Biden administration says law enforcement seized about 20,000 suspected ghost guns last year. The figure is a tenfold increase from 2016.

Despite a call for stricter gun control amid the rise in gun crimes, many Americans are opposed to tighter controls, claiming their right to bear arms is guaranteed by the US Constitution.

The administration's latest move is likely to draw protest, mainly from Republicans.