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Mediterranean Quarterly 13.2 (2002) 36-55



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Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1993 to 2000

Richard F. Grimmett

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This essay provides unclassified quantitative data on conventional-arms transfers to developing nations by the United States and foreign countries for the period from 1993 to 2000. The data set out illustrate how global patterns of conventional-arms transfers have changed in the post-Cold War and post-Persian Gulf War years. Relationships between arms suppliers and recipients continue to evolve in response to changing political, military, and economic circumstances. Despite global changes since the Cold War's end, the developing world continues to be the primary focus of foreign arms sales activity by conventional weapons suppliers.

General Trends in Arms Transfers Worldwide

The value of all arms-transfer agreements worldwide (to both developed and developing nations) in 2000 was nearly $36.9 billion. This is a clear increase in the value of arms agreements over 1999 and is the third year in a row that total arms agreements increased over the previous year. This total, however, is substantially lower in constant dollars than that of 1993, during the period of post-Persian Gulf War rearmament.

In 2000, the United States led in arms-transfer agreements worldwide, making agreements valued at nearly $18.6 billion (50.4 percent of all such agreements), up from nearly $12.9 billion in 1999. Russia ranked second [End Page 36] with $7.7 billion in agreements (20.9 percent of these agreements), up notably from $4.1 billion in 1999. France ranked third, as its arms transfer agreements worldwide rose significantly from $936 million in 1999 to $4.1 billion in 2000. The United States, Russia, and France, collectively, made agreements in 2000 valued at nearly $30.4 billion, 82.4 percent of all international arms-transfer agreements made by all suppliers.

From 1997 to 2000, the total value of all international arms-transfer agreements (about $125.1 billion) has been notably less than the worldwide value from 1993 to 1996 (about $142.4 billion), a decline of 12.1 percent. During the period 1993 to 1996, developing-world nations accounted for 67.7 percent of the value of all arms-transfer agreements made worldwide. From 1997 to 2000, developing-world customers accounted for 67.6 percent of all arms-transfer agreements globally. In 2000, developing nations accounted for 69 percent of all arms-transfer agreements made worldwide.

In 2000, the United States ranked first in the value of all international arms deliveries, making nearly $14.2 billion in such deliveries, or 48.3 percent of the total. This is the eighth year in a row that the United States has led in global arms deliveries, reflecting, in particular, implementation of arms-transfer agreements made during and in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War. The United Kingdom ranked second in worldwide arms deliveries in 2000, making $5.1 billion of such deliveries. Russia ranked third in 2000, making $3.5 billion in such deliveries. These top three suppliers of arms in 2000 collectively delivered nearly $22.8 billion, 77.5 percent of all arms delivered worldwide by all suppliers in that year.

The value of all international arms deliveries in 2000 was nearly $29.4 billion. This is a substantial decrease in the total value of arms deliveries from the previous year (nearly $38 billion) and the lowest total of the past eight years. The total value of such arms deliveries worldwide from 1997 to 2000 ($151.1 billion) was a nominal decrease in the real-dollar value of arms deliveries by all suppliers worldwide from 1993 to 1996 ($152.8 billion).

Developing nations from 1997 to 2000 accounted for 70.2 percent of the value of all international arms deliveries. In the earlier period, 1993 to 1996, developing nations accounted for 65.8 percent of the value of all arms deliveries worldwide. Most recently, in 2000, developing nations collectively accounted for 66 percent of the value of all international arms deliveries. [End Page 37]

General Trends in Arms Transfers to Developing Nations

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