Increased arms trade despite financial crisis

According to a report on international arms production by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the world’s 100 largest arms dealers excluding China have sold weapons and military services for $411bn in 2010. This represents a rise of 1 per cent as compared to 2009. SIPRI arms industry expert Susan Jackson commented: “The data for 2010 demonstrates, once again, the major players’ ability to continue selling arms and military services despite the financial crises currently affecting other industries.” Among the 100 top sellers, there are 44 US-based companies accounting for more than 60 per cent of the market. The number of European companies on the list, accounting for a total of 29 per cent of the market, dropped from 33 in 2009 to 30 in 2010.

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