Reply #39: UK arms sales to the Middle East and North Africa: who do we sell to, how much is military and how m [View All]

[tabatha]

I hate weapons sales.



How big are arms sales to the Middle East and North Africa? The unrest in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and across the region has brought attention to one of the UK's most successful export markets: military equipment.

It's a world shrouded in secrecy, and centred on giant arms fairs, such as Idex, taking place in Abu Dhabi. In the UK the international arms trade is managed by Strategic Export Controls, which grant licenses. They're not just for arms, but for a whole range of 'controlled' products. Here's the official take from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills:

The Export Control Organisation is responsible for legislating, assessing and issuing export and trade licences for specific categories of "controlled" goods. This encompasses a wide range of items including so-called dual-use goods, torture goods, radioactive sources, as well as military items. Whether a licence is required depends on various factors including the items exported and any sanctions in force on the export destination.

If items exported from the United Kingdom are controlled, then a licence is needed to legally export. Exporters are responsible for complying with the law, understanding the regulations and keeping informed.

This is isn't everything sold, but the vast majority and everything granted a license is categorised. The official reports (published in PDF format) detail the maximum values of licenses granted in each group. There is a searchable database (you can access it here). But for the breakdowns, you have to use the PDFs. Licenses can and are often revoked - as some have just been to Bahrain.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/feb/22/uk-arms-sales-middle-east-north-africa?intcmp=239