Record low increase in German arms exports in 2024

According to the report of the international group Tasnim news agency quoting In the first quarter of 2024, the German federal government authorized the export of military equipment worth 5.2 billion euros, according to Die Site. Ukraine accounts for more than 70% of the import of these goods.

According to the statistics provided, in the first three months of this year, the German federal government allowed export Finally, it exported military equipment worth 5.2 billion euros. According to the Federal Ministry of Economy, about 90 percent of exports go to close partner countries, and almost three-quarters (74 percent) go to Ukraine alone. Therefore, the preliminary figure for the quarter is unusually high compared to previous years.

Accordingly, for the entire year 2023, the value of all arms licenses was 12.2 billion euros. – which is still a record. However, for the first quarter of 2024, due to a change in procedure last September, arms exports were also recorded for the first time for those that went through so-called general licenses to EU and NATO countries, as well as Japan, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand was done. This export only needs to be reported, but no longer requires separate confirmation.

The statement reads: Since the current quarterly value includes all export confirmations and reports. Already done using public approvals, this is higher than usual and likely to increase: companies can also submit export reports through public approvals retrospectively. According to the ministry, due to the change in procedure, an overview is important.

Approved exports in the first quarter of 2024 included war weapons worth 3.85 billion euros. In addition, €1.4 billion was spent on other military equipment, including, for example, pistols and revolvers, radar and radio technology, but also some explosives and intermediate products intended for military use.

According to this statement, Ukraine was still the main recipient of German military equipment in the first quarter, in the form of arms exports worth about 3.8 billion euros for this country attacked by Russia. Confirmed. “These numbers are a reflection of Germany’s continuous and extensive support for Ukraine in defending itself against Russia’s war, which violates international law,” said Sven Gegeld, an official of the German Ministry of Economy. Since Ukraine is neither a member of the European Union nor a member of NATO, it is considered a so-called third country, but it is mentioned separately in this report along with South Korea and Singapore.

According to the report of the Federal Ministry of Economy of Germany, in addition to Ukraine, the most valuable German arms exports in the first quarter were to the third countries of Singapore (584 million euros), India (143 million euros), Saudi Arabia (126 million euros), Qatar (97 million euros), Algeria (40 million euros) and Brazil (40 million euros) were done. The NATO countries with the most deliveries are the United States (€63 million), Canada (€26 million) and Spain (€26 million). In the case of Saudi Arabia, these have been almost exclusively in the form of joint projects and cooperation with EU and NATO partner countries.

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