Arms export

The arms export means all operations related to the non-state transfer of weapons . This article covers arms and armaments exports up to the point of industrialization in the mid-19th century. After that, this article will focus on firearms exports .

In the years from 2015 to 2019, according to SIPRI , arms exports were split between the following countries: USA (36%), Russia (21%), France (7.9%), Germany (5.8%) and China (5.5%) %), United Kingdom (3.7%), Spain (3.1%), Israel (3%), Italy (2.1%), South Korea (2.1%); Other countries: (9.6%).

In the years from 2015 to 2019, according to SIPRI, arms imports were split between the following countries: Saudi Arabia (12%), India (9.2%), Egypt (5.8%), Australia (4.9%), China (4.3%), Algeria (4.2%), South Korea (3.4%), Ver. Arab. Emirates (3.4%), Iraq (3.4%), Qatar (3.4%); Other countries: (46%).

history

Before 1800

The concentration of forging centers with their high productivity, which by far exceeded the demand of local customers, inevitably led to arms exports.

The guilds regulated arms production, prices and exports. In medieval Nuremberg, all blacksmiths and grinders in the city had to indicate “ how much and which types ” they could manufacture. Then the guild determined the allocation, determined the prices and the quotas and the time for market trips. “ No one was allowed to freeze or send goods outside the markets before the other. The brothers who stayed at home were supposed to sell their wares within the trade; but if no buyers were found, everyone was allowed to look for such outside of the same and sell them as dearly as possible, but on no account below the fixed prices ”.

There were also long transit routes on trade routes and by shipping . As early as the 10th century, the Venetians were bringing weapons (swords, lances and tanks) from the armories of Styria and Carinthia via the trade routes of the Alps to Italy . Arms exports to England in the 13th and 14th centuries are just as important . In the 13th century, from Pirna and Eisenach and in the following centuries from Osnabrück, Danzig and Lübeck. Raw materials were also imported and exported on a large scale. Sweden , the medieval main supplier of copper , which was used to manufacture cannon barrels , made high profits from its raw material exports.

According to the Historical Lexicon of Switzerland, the most important arms exporters before 1800 were Lombardy from the 14th century , Bavaria (Nuremberg, Augsburg, Kempten, Passau), Solingen (North Rhine-Westphalia), 1630-1770 Suhl (Thuringia) from 1470–1600 and (until 1870) Liège.

The port cities of Amsterdam and Hamburg were of paramount importance in the Middle Ages, as they had a logistical advantage due to maritime shipping. Few weapons were manufactured in these cities, but they were important transhipment points for war goods. Due to Spain's anti-Dutch stance, Hamburg was even able to temporarily break Amsterdam's supremacy in the arms trade during the Thirty Years War. Also Antwerp , Gdansk , Dunkirk , Lübeck , Venice and Genoa made good money on the arms trade and on trade in saltpetre, which is a main component of black powder is.

After 1800

From around 1850, more and more machines were included in production and automated. Due to technical progress and the resulting increasing specialization, the armaments industry split off from arms manufacturers.

Current arms exports

Among the firearms , the internationally SALW (abbr. For Small Arms Light Weapons are called) are war weapons such as assault rifles , submachine guns and machine guns , as well as civilian firearms such as hunting and sporting rifles , pistols and revolvers .

The government project Small Arms Survey examined the international firearms trade in 2009 and came to the following conclusion:

20 exporting countries do 80% of the trade in small arms and light weapons
The estimated actual export volume of all small arms of the 53 states participating in the UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database (Comtrade) was around 10% higher in 2006 than the reported amount (1568 instead of 1428 million USD), and for military firearms the deviation was even greater 32% ($ 321 million instead of $ 244 million).
With a few exceptions, the western countries are at the top of the transparency barometer. i.e., they adhere to international guidelines.

customer

In most parts of the world, due to national laws, war firearms are mainly sold to military forces and security agencies such as the police and customs, mostly by evading the trade, which only has a license to broker war weapons in exceptional cases. A very small part of the war firearms reaches collectors and museums through national exemption in the civilian market .

The buyers of hunting and sporting weapons are mainly wholesalers for civil firearms and private individuals. Only a small proportion of precision rifles goes to both official snipers and sport shooters for the 300 meter discipline of the International Shooting Sport Federation and long range shooters (up to 1000 yards (around 915 meters)) who use these expensive weapons appreciate their precision.

The buyers of pistols and revolvers are also wholesalers in civil firearms and private individuals. State authorities also import handguns on a larger scale if they equip their authorities with additional equipment or if they replace their outdated handguns.

According to official estimates, over half of the 650 million privately owned firearms are said to be handguns. Over 250 million firearms are in private US ownership alone. The US imports nearly 50% of the world's firearms exports.

Export data

Weapons of war

In the international legal trade in small arms and light weapons (SALW), exports fell by 29% to USD 375 million between 2000 and 2006. A total of 83% of legal exports were carried out by the largest exporters. 68% of exports were carried out legally.

The largest exporters were the USA (54%), Belgium (6%), France (5%), Germany (4%), Great Britain (3%), China, Norway, Italy, Canada and Switzerland (2% each).

The largest importers were Cyprus (20%), South Korea (9%), Japan (7%), Greece (6%), Saudi Arabia (6%), USA (5%), the Netherlands, Turkey, Egypt (3rd place each) %) and Australia (2%).

An important part of the war arms exports takes place within the framework of UN peace missions . Sometimes the guns are taken back when the trigger is withdrawn. In other cases, they remain in the country for military support and are transferred to a mission to another nation.

Civil firearms

The largest share (77%) of international arms exports have sporting arms, hunting arms and handguns. Trade takes place mainly between rich, western countries; these are among the largest exporters as well as importers. In Europe, primarily high-quality weapons (e.g. precision rifles and weapons with elaborate wooden shafts ) as well as high-quality hunting and sports ammunition are produced. In the USA and Latin America, cheaper mass-produced goods are predominantly produced.

Hunting and sporting rifles

In 2006, hunting and sporting weapons were exported for $ 779 million. This corresponded to 50% of all legal arms transports. 97% of the trade in hunting and sporting weapons was legal in 2006, according to smallarmssurvey.org. smallarmssurvey is an independent research project based in Geneva, Switzerland; it was started in 1999 and is funded by eight governments.

The main exporters in 2006 were Italy (32%), Germany (10%), USA (8%), Belgium (6%), Turkey (6%), Japan (5%), Great Britain (5%), Brazil (4% ), Russia (4%), Finland (3%), Czech Republic (3%), Spain, Canada, Ukraine (2% each), Austria, Portugal and China (1% each).

The main importers in 2006 were the USA with 42% and the Western European countries with 22%. This was followed by Australia, New Zealand and Japan, the United Arab Emirates and the safari countries Kazakhstan and Botswana.

Pistols and revolvers

27% of all firearms exported in 2006 were handguns valued at approximately $ 430 million. 99% of it is said to have been exported legally.

The eleven main exporters were Austria (27%), Germany (21%), Brazil (11%), Italy (10%), USA (7%), Croatia (6%), Czech Republic (4%), Argentina, Belgium, Israel and Canada (each around 2%). Their exports, over 93% in total, are all documented.

The USA made 59% of imports. The main buyers for Austria (Glock) were the USA, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Brazil and Italy. The main purchasing countries of Germany (SIG-Sauer, Walther, H&K) were the USA, France (imported over 250,000 new service weapons from SIG-Sauer since 2003), Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Brazil exported 86%, Argentina 68% and Croatia even 98% of their small arms to the USA.

Brazil, Austria and Belgium only vaguely declared their handguns. B. as a sporting weapon instead of a pistol. However, your data could be determined through the documentation of the importing countries.

EU arms exports

The annual report of the European arms dealers' association AECAC in 2010 listed the export figures for the years 2004 to 2008. The report distinguishes between firearms ( categories A to D ) and other firearms . The latter include signal weapons , air weapons , airsoft weapons, antique weapons and reproductions.

On average, the countries of the EU export firearms and non-firearms worth 600 million euros per year. On average, firearms worth 300 million euros were shipped to third countries and 200 million euros to other EU countries. For 50 million euros each, the EU countries shipped non-firearms both to third countries and to other EU countries.

Internal EU trade in euros
Firearms exports from the EU to third countries in euros

German arms exports

In 2007, Germany exported armaments worth 3.7 billion euros . These included handguns worth 171 million euros, 72% of which were civilian firearms. In contrast to the OECD, the Federal Republic defines small arms as weapons of war. In her armaments report 2007 she wrote: "Only 28% of the license value for small arms is accounted for in the field of small arms and only 6% for licenses for small arms in third countries."

Germany's arms exports differentiated by type of weapon
Germany's war weapons exports differentiated according to importing countries

In 2004, German manufacturers produced sporting and hunting weapons for around € 210 million. Goods to the value of around € 166 million were exported. In 2006 German manufacturers of hunting, sporting weapons and ammunition produced goods worth € 212 million. 87 percent of this (€ 185 million) was exported. According to the IWA, almost 5,000 people worked in the industrial production of the sporting arms industry in 2009. They produced hunting and sporting weapons worth over 275 million euros. The export value was over 250 million euros, while hunting and sporting weapons were imported for 66 million euros.

The federal government approved in 2012 the export of 'small arms' worth 76 million euros; about twice as much as in 2011. According to a definition of the European Union, small arms include submachine guns, machine guns and fully and semi-automatic weapons. Their export is particularly controversial, since most people die in armed conflict around the world from small arms gunshots.

In 2019, German companies received permits for arms exports totaling eight billion euros, which at the time was the highest amount ever recorded for such exports. These included export licenses for machine guns, pistols and similar weapons for 69.49 million euros (+79 percent compared to 2018 and the highest value since 2013). The most important recipient countries for German small arms were Norway (22.1 million euros), Great Britain (12.1 million), Lithuania (10.1 million), France (8.6 million) and the USA (6.5 million).

Swiss arms exports

In Switzerland, the three most important export companies are Ruag , Mowag and the former Oerlikon-Contraves , now Rheinmetall Defense . The volume of all exports was around 200 million francs around the year 2000, reached an all-time high of over 800 million francs in 2011 and stood at 446 million francs in 2017. In 2019, war material to the value of 728 million francs was exported. The share of weapons of any caliber (cat. KM 2) was 8.4 percent of war material exports in the same year.

Between 2000 and 2017, Switzerland supplied a total of 129 different countries with war material, around 60 each year. Most arms exports during this period went to Germany, valued at 1.97 billion Swiss francs. This is followed by the USA (584 million), the United Arab Emirates (518 million) and Great Britain (451 million). In 2019, Denmark (CHF 155.3 million), Germany (CHF 125.8 million), Romania (CHF 111.8 million), Bangladesh (CHF 55.2 million) and the USA (CHF 38.5 million) Million CHF) are the main buyers of the exported war material.

Illegal arms exports

The illegal firearms trade is estimated at at least $ 100 million.

Major known or suspected exporters of small arms who report only partial or no reporting on their arms exports include Iran, Israel, North Korea, South Africa, and Belarus. Other exporting countries, including China, Pakistan, the Russian Federation and Singapore, provide some data on their exports of sporting weapons and rifles, but do not disclose any information on their exports of small arms for military use.