German Economy Ministry releases arms industry sales data

Germany's Economy Ministry has released data revealing the country's arms industry had committed to sales of €22.5 billion since October 2017, when the current legislative period began.

The figures also showed that the main recipients of German arms export licences during that period were Hungary, with licences of €2.66 billion, and the US with €2.36 billion.

Export licences refer to the licence to permit sales in the future, and not the actual transfer of weapons between countries.

Read more: Heckler & Koch must pay for illegal Mexican arms sales, says top German court

In the list of Germany's top ten arms industry customers were several non-NATO and non-EU countries, including Algeria (€2 billion), Egypt (€1.88 billion) and Qatar (€720 million).

Berlin has also approved several lucrative export licences for Pakistan, India and Indonesia.

The Economy Ministry made the information publically available after a request was made by Sevim Dagdelen, a Bundestag MP from the socialist Die Linke (The Left) party, and a vocal critic of German arms sales. 

Dagdelen is especially critical of some of the export licences granted for sales to some developing countries, which she says only adds fuel to the fire of existing conflicts.

According to her office's calculations, which were later reported by Catholic news agency KNA, the released data represents a sharp increase in licences issues to such countries when compared with the two legislative periods prior.

Read more: SIPRI report finds US largest arms exporter, Saudi largest importer

During the 2009 to 2013 and 2013 to 2017 legislative periods, arms export licenses issued to developing countries totalled €1.8 billion in comparison with €3.26 billion in the current legislative period.

Previously, these sales accounted for 7.2% of total arms sales in the 2013 to 2017 legislative session. In the current session, which will conclude in September, arms export licenses to the developing world account for nearly 15% of those issued.

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