International Arms Trade
In this video you will learn:
- That international trade in arms is a big, global and predominantly legitimate business…
- …which is important to many governments in securing their self-defence capabilities.
- That weapons produced and/or sold illegally can have devastating consequences such as creating or prolonging conflicts or insecurity and leading to significant violations of human rights.
- That illegally traded weapons can also be used by criminal organizations or terrorists.
International Arms Trade II: Exports
Products traded as part of the defence industry include small arms, ammunition, military vehicles, aircraft and ships, as well as a wide range of strategic electronic systems, parts, components and services.
Based on official government data, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) (www) estimates that the financial value of the global arms trade in 2014 was at least 94.5 billion US dollars. The general trend has been rising since 2010.
For example the UN registers this data, which is searchable via their online tool, as presented on the right (https://www.unroca.org (www))
The five biggest exporters in 2011–15 were the United States, Russia, China, France and Germany, and the five biggest importers were India, Saudi Arabia, China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Australia.
In the past years, the flow of arms to Africa, Asia and Oceania and the Middle East has increased, while there has been a fall in the flow to Europe and a minor decrease in the flow to the Americas
International Arms Trade III: Imports
In Europe, arms imports have been decreasing in the last ten years. Still, in 2011-2015, the top five Western European suppliers—France, Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy—together accounted for 21 per cent of global arms transfers.
At the moment, the region accounts for some 11 per cent of total global imports.
According to SIPRI, the fall is partly the result of economic pressures. Azerbaijan was the largest importer of major weapons in Europe, with deliveries increasing by 217 per cent between 2006–10 and 2011–15. The UK was the second-largest importer in Europe, despite a fall in imports of 17 per cent compared with 2006–10.
(SIPRI, 2016a, p. 5)
Rationale and Key Concepts of Export Controls
This video will present:
- The concept of ‘export controls’ (G) and its basic rationale
- The relevance of export controls for international security and non-proliferation efforts
Export Controls in More Detail
In this video you will learn:
- What governments need to know when it comes to export controls
- That export controls expand beyond the physical sphere
- How export controls on the national level are embodied in law and how they are operationalised
Export Control Key Terms
Strategic Items
Goods, Technology & Software which are controlled and which fall within certain categories, namely:
- Military
- Dual Use
Strategic Items (Military)
- Goods, Technology or Software ‘specially designed, developed or modified for a military use’
- Items which are controlled are identified in ‘Military’ Lists (country specific)
Strategic Items (Dual-Use)
- Goods, Technology or Software which, though not designed or modified for military use, may have a military application
- Includes Goods, Technology or Software associated with Chemical, Biological and Nuclear activities that could be used in the production of WMD
- Items which are controlled are identified in ‘Dual-Use’ Control Lists