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Germany issues less permits for arms exports in 2014

Xinhua, June 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

The German government significantly cut back on arms exports permits in 2014, according to a report published on Wednesday.

The government granted licenses for weapons exports amounting to a total value of 3.97 billion euros (4.44 billion U.S. dollars) in 2014, while the figure in the previous year was 5.84 billion euros, said the latest government report on arms exports.

A large portion (60.5 percent) of the overall value of sales in 2014 was for exports of ships and submarines to such countries such as Israel, Singapore, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

The share of permits issued for weapons exports to those third countries outside the European Union and NATO, however, has seen a decline compared with 2013, the paper further reports.

Most notable was the reduction in sales of small arms. According to the report, licenses issued for exports of small arms resulted in a sales value of 47.43 million euros in 2014, almost half the amount of the previous year.

The report's figures reflect the arms export policy of Sigmar Gabriel, German vice chancellor and minister for economic affairs and energy. At the beginning of his time in office in 2013, he declared his intention to make Germany's arms export permits much more restrictive.

The German government stressed Wednesday in a statement that it remained committed to "strict rules of export control over weapons." Endit