The Stockholm Peace Institute (SIPRI) also published its annual report to Global defense exports until 2023. Many developments have been recorded there, depending on the region and country. The basic observation is that the volume of exports in the period 2019-2023 decreased by 3.3% compared to the period 2014-2018. However, this did not mean a general reduction in arms, because many countries issued “internal orders”, i.e. supplied their armed forces.
First, classification Main exporters in the period 2019-2023 As follows, based on their share of global exports:
- USA, 42%
- France 11%
- Russia 11%
- China 5.8%
- Germany 5.6%
- Italy 4.3%
- Britain 3.7%
- Spain 2.7%
- Israel 2.4%
- South Korea 2%
- Turkey, 1.6% (an increase of 106% in the period 2019-2023 compared to the period 2014-2018) and exports mainly to the UAE, Qatar and Pakistan.
In the rank of the greatest Importers again in the period 2019-2023 We have the following countries in addition to the percentage of global exports they absorb:
- India 9.8%
- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 8.4%
- Qatar 7.6%
- Ukraine 4.9%
- Pakistan 4.3%
- Japan 4.1%
- Egypt 4%
- Australia 3.7%
- South Korea 3.1%
- China 2.9%
- USA, 2.8%
Greece appears here in 25th place with a rate of 0.9% (constant compared to the previous four years) and Turkey in 17th place. It imports 1.6% of global exports, but in the previous four years it imported 2.2%, so it is declining. Greece imports mainly from France, the United States, and Britain, while Turkey imports from Spain, Italy, and Russia.
The chart below shows that Russia faced the largest decline in exports, down 53% Between the periods 2014-2018 and 2019-2023, while France, Italy (86%) and the United States of America (17%) witnessed a significant increase. It is clear that the French increase of 47% includes the important Greek Rafale and foreign direct investment markets, while Rafale has become the number one product exported to Paris.
More generally, arms imports have increased rapidly in Europe (always in comparison between the last two four-year periods). 94%, with Ukraine receiving 23% of the total in 2019-2023. In the Middle East, we recorded a decrease of 12%, in Africa -52%, in East Asia by 6.1%, and in Oceania -10%.
What big exporters sell is also interesting. So United States of America They mainly sell to Saudi Arabia, Japan and Qatar France And in India, Qatar and Egypt Russia In India, China and Egypt China To Pakistan (61% of its exports!), Bangladesh and Thailand Germany And in Egypt, Ukraine and Israel Italy In Qatar, Egypt and Kuwait Britain In Qatar, the United States of America and Ukraine.
As for what is being sold? The United States exported 1,071 aircraft over the past four years, 390 helicopters, and about 2,900 armored vehicles, in addition to 561 tanks. France sold 223 fighters and 500 armored vehicles, Russia mainly tanks (464) but also 78 fighters, China 566 tanks and 94 fighters, Germany mainly armored vehicles (1,314) but also ships (25).
However, France and Turkey have seen a significant increase in shipping, while it is clear that Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and India are systematically equipped with larger ships.
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