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An Article
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U.S. LEADS THE WORLD IN FOREIGN ARMS SALES IN 2008
Congressional Research Service Reports Most Sales Go to Developing Countries
September 07, 2009
By
Will Farrar
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Washington, District of Columbia - There is no recession for the U.S. in the foreign arms sales market according to figures released on Frday by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, a division of the Library of Congress. In fact, there is a boom. In 2007, U.S. arms sales overseas were $25.4 billion. In 2008, they were $37.8 billion - an almost 50% increase. This came despite a drop in total sales worldwide to $55.2 billion in 2008, a 7.6% drop from 2007. The author of the study, Robert F. Grimmett, attributed the drop to the severe international recession.
U.S. sales were 68.4% of the global market.The nearest competitor was Italy with a paltry $3.7 billion, and Russia a close third with $3.5 billion. In 2007, Russia had $10.8 billion in sales. The Congressionl study, "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations", attributed the U.S. increase in significant part to major new orders from Asia and the Near East. The study deals only with unclassified global arms sales. It is rumored that sales to countries such as Israel may not be included in the study.
The study states that the majority of arms sales were to developing countries - $42.2 billion. The U.S. was the leader in this arena with a market share of 70.1% - $29.6 billion.
$6.5 billion of that was an air defense system for the United Arab Emirates. There was a $2.1 billion jet fighter deal with Morocco, and a $2 billion deal with Taiwan for attack helicopters. Other large buyers were Brazil, Egypt, India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.
In total arms sales, the United Arab Emirates came in first with $9.7 billion, Saudi Arabia was second with $8.7 billion, and Morocco third with $5.4 billion.
Some critics of these global arms sales state that the figures substantiate their claim that developing countries spend a disproportionate amount on weapons of death, than on life-saving measures for their people. |
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