U.S. Accounted For 79 Percent Of Weapons Sales To Developing Nations In 2011

(Newsroom America) -- A report prepared for Congress shows the United States accounted for 79 percent of the world’s weapons sales to developing nations in 2011, with the share nearly doubling from the 44 percent share in 2010.

The U.S. also accounted for 56 percent of the world’s weapons sales to all nations from 2008 to 2011, up from 31 percent from 2004 to 2007.

"Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2004-2011" is prepared annually by the Congressional Research Service to provide Congress with official data on conventional arms transfers to developing nations for the preceding eight calendar years for use in its policy oversight functions.

Saudi Arabia, India and The United Arab Emirates were the biggest weapons purchasers in 2011 respectively, according to the report.

The report said developing nations continue to be the primary focus of foreign arms sales activity by weapons suppliers.

During the years 2004-2011, the value of arms transfer agreements with developing nations comprised 68.6% of all such agreements worldwide. More recently, arms transfer agreements with developing nations constituted 79.2% of all such agreements globally from 2008-2011, and 83.9% of these agreements in 2011.

The value of all arms transfer agreements with developing nations in 2011 was over $71.5 billion. This was a substantial increase from $32.7 billion in 2010.

In 2011, the value of all arms deliveries to developing nations was $28 billion, the highest total in these deliveries values since 2004.

Recently, from 2008 to 2011, the United States and Russia have dominated the arms market in the developing world, with both nations either ranking first or second for each of these four years in the value of arms transfer agreements.

From 2008 to 2011, the United States made nearly $113 billion in such agreements, 54.5% of all these agreements (expressed in current dollars). Russia made $31.1 billion, 15% of these agreements.

During this same period, collectively, the United States and Russia made 69.5% of all arms transfer agreements with developing nations, ($207.3 billion in current dollars) during this four-year period.

In 2011, the United States ranked first in arms transfer agreements with developing nations with over $56.3 billion or 78.7% of these agreements, an extraordinary increase in market share from 2010, when the United States held a 43.6% market share.

In second place was Russia with $4.1 billion or 5.7% of such agreements.

In worldwide arms transfer agreements in 2011—to both developed and developing nations—the United States dominated, ranking first with $66.3 billion in such agreements or 77.7% of all such agreements.

This was the highest single year agreements total in the history of the U.S. arms export program.

Russia ranked second in worldwide arms transfer agreements in 2011with $4.8 billion in such global agreements or 5.6%.

The value of all arms transfer agreements worldwide in 2011 was $85.3 billion, a substantial increase over the 2010 total of $44.5 billion, and the highest worldwide arms agreements total since 2004.

In 2011, Saudi Arabia ranked first in the value of arms transfer agreements among all developing nations weapons purchasers, concluding $33.7 billion in such agreements. The Saudis concluded $33.4 billion of these agreements with the United States (99%).

India ranked second with $6.9 billion in such agreements. The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) ranked third with $4.5 billion.

The report said Saudi Arabia and India's increases reflected military modernization efforts.

(C) Newsroom America 2011