Arms exports from France fell by 8.6% in 2019

France is the third largest exporter of weapons in the world, after the United States and Russia.

The export of arms to French decreased by nearly 8.6% to eur 8.3 billion in 2019 after a year 2018 particularly good, and with the main customers from Europe, whose share has sharply increased, and the united arab Emirates (uae), engaged in the conflict in Yemen.

"The balance 2019 orders taken amounted to eur 8.3 billion and the average observed over the past ten years," notes the official report submitted to Parliament and published on Tuesday. It is marked by a few contracts, the iconic destination of Belgium (mine warfare, Naval Group), Hungary (helicopters Airbus H225M and H145M), of WATER (corvettes Gowind of the Naval Group), Australia (design of submarines, Naval Group) and Spain (satellite telecommunications).

The naval sector has represented half of the orders taken "while in the behind years it was 10% on average," the report notes.

Your support is essential. Subscribe for $ 1 support Us

Europe as the main client

On the plan of deliveries, in the year 2019 has been prosperous with 9.9 billion euros, weapons delivered against € 6.9 billion in 2018, of which two-thirds (6,37 billion euros) to the countries of the Middle East, Qatar in the lead followed by Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

READ ALSO >> The sales of weapons in the world, an increase of nearly 5%

These results, "obtained in a context of intense competition with the confirmation of us supremacy and the emergence of new major exporters, China in particular, ( ... ), to consolidate the place of France in the top 5 exporters in the world", argues the report. Noteworthy fact : "the share represented by Europe's progress in relation to the 2018 and amounted to 45% of the total orders taken", against 25% the previous year, to 3.47 billion euros, " he stressed. Belgium, alone, has ordered for 1.8 billion euros of the French shipping industry last year.

The region Near and Middle East, the first region to export to France last year with nearly half of the total of the orders taken, thus goes in second position behind Europe with 2.15 billion euros of orders in 2019, of which 1.5 billion for the only the united arab Emirates.

Reversal

the Third largest exporter of weapons in the world after the United States and Russia, France is regularly challenged, particularly by NGOS and parliamentarians, for its sales of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the united arab Emirates, engaged in a conflict in Yemen that has left tens of thousands dead since 2015, including many civilians.

READ ALSO >> The Yemen will become the poorest country in the world, if the war continues

Read our complete file

saudi Arabia and its governance dynastic

Yemen, the mercenaries forced to fight instead of Saudi and Emirati Coronavirus and oil : the saudi prince MBS has everything to lose Who will win the new war for oil?

The Asia-Pacific region account of his side for nearly 18% of the total amount of the orders, a share comparable to that observed in 2017 and 2018," the report says. The important part of the european orders constitutes a reversal of the trend after a decade of exports French predominantly to third countries : over the period 2010-2019, the top five customers of France are India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the united arab Emirates. Belgium is sixth.