2010-03-17

The latest report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) revealed that Germany was the world’s third largest weapons exporter in 2005–2009. The share of German exporters in global exports doubled to reach 11%, over the past five years. The report raised great interest in Germany because the issue of weapons trading, considering the country’s history and pacifist views shared by most of society, is highly controversial there.

In 2005-2009 German manufacturers sold weapons to global recipients for a total price of EUR 12.3 billion, including EUR 2.5 billion in 2009 alone. This gives Germany third position globally, after the USA and Russia. Germany’s weapons exports are dominated by submarines (which account for 44% of weapons exports) and armoured weapons (27%), and the main export directions are Europe, South Africa and Asia. Additionally, Germany is the main supplier of weapons for such key recipients as South Korea (a 20% share in the country’s weapon imports) and Greece (35%). The Ministry of Economics stated in response to the report’s results that the German weapons predominantly go to European Union member states. In turn, the increasing role of Germany in global weapons exports was criticised by the Green Party and the Left Party, which argued that sale of weapons leads to an intensification of tension and conflicts in the world and appealed to the government to increase control over Germany’s weapons trade. Despite the controversies which weapons trade raises among German politicians and society, German weapons exports will continue to grow because they generate high economic profits. <pop>

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