German Arms Exports 2003 to 2013
The graph shows German arms export licenses for 2006 to 2015 for the ten countries that received the most weapons in monetary terms. The horizontal axis shows the recipient countries; the vertical axis the total of arms in billions of euro. The red bar shows the sum of 2006 to 2014 while the blue part singles out arms export licenses in 2015.
Facts
From 2006 to 2015, most German arms export licenses (amounting to about euro 5.5 billion) were issued for the United States. Among the top 10 recipient countries of German arms export licenses, two more NATO countries—the United Kingdom (position 2) and the Netherlands (position 6) can be found. In 2015, the highest export licenses were granted to Qatar (euro 1.7 billion) and the United Kingdom (euro 1.6 billion). According to the German government, it pursues a restrained, responsible armament policy. Each license application is subject to an individual assessment in which aspects, such as the maintaining of peace, security and stability as well as the adherence to human rights in the recipient country are taken into account. This statement, however, seems problematic as Germany earned just under three billion euro with arms exports to Saudi Arabia (between 2006 and 2015), 2.5 billion euro with arms exports to Qatar and just under two billion euro with arms exports to the United Arab Emirates.
Terms, notes on methodology or reading aids
The term arms or armament includes all goods that can only or mainly be used for military purposes such as obviously weapons, but also goods such as uniforms, transport vehicles with camouflage paint or electronic goods, such as radio units. Military weapons are a special category of arms. It is the primary purpose of these weapons to be used during war, and they are defined in the German War Weapons Control Act (KWWG).
The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) is the government's body generally responsible for the export policy of arms or armament. Arms exports are always subject to a strict individual assessment on the basis of the Political Principles of the Federal Government for the Export of Military Weapons and other Armament of 19 January 2000 and the EU Common Position on the control and export of military technology and military goods of 8 December 2008. In Germany, the production, trade and export of military weapons are subject to the German War Weapons Control Act (KWWG). The annual arms exports reports of the German government contain all licenses granted for the export of arms. Statistical records of actual exports are only held for military weapons. Licenses granted are valid for one year. Some equipment is exported in the same year, some the following year, some not at all. This is the case when procurement plans have changed in the recipient country.
Data sources
German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) The German government publishes its arms exports report annually; it reports on its export policies regarding conventional arms This report contains the total number of individual export licences together with an export list; the export of all arms is subject to approval. This list is derived from the Common Military List of the European Union and the list contained in the Wassenaar Arrangement Each license application is subject to individual assessment by the government in which primarily foreign, security and human rights policies play an important role in deciding in favour or against such an application. Its decisions are based on the "common rules governing the control of exports of military technology and equipment."
Arms exports report of the German government
BICC 09/2016
