Cover: 2016 Military Equipment Export Report

The latest report on exports of military equipment provides details of licensing decisions taken by the Federal Government in 2016. Every year, the Federal Government presents a report on exports of military equipment to the Bundestag and the public in which it provides a comprehensive picture of German policy on the export of military equipment and furnishes information about the licences issued for the export of military equipment and the actual exports of war weapons in the preceding year.

In 2016, individual licences (i.e. licences for single transactions) worth around €6.85 billion were issued for the export of military equipment (2015: approx. €7.86 billion). Here, a large proportion (46.4%; 2015: 41%) went to licences for exports to EU/NATO and NATO-equivalent countries. The total value of licences for small arms amounted to €46.9 million in 2016. The rise of approx. €15 million over 2015 (€32.4 million) is almost entirely due to higher figures for licences for EU/NATO and NATO-equivalent countries.