Exports of Swiss armaments and munitions increased in value by nearly a quarter last year, bucking the trend of a slowdown in international trade across all industry sectors.
Swiss companies exported war material worth CHF901.2 million ($965 million) to 62 countries in 2020, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said on TuesdayExternal link. This is a 24% increase on 2019 (CHF728 million).
The increase in business was mainly driven by the delivery of armoured vehicles to Denmark, Romania and Botswana and an air defence system to Indonesia. These countries, along with Germany, were the five largest customers by value of purchased goods.
Some 37.5% of all the war material exports were armoured vehicles, 22.5% were munitions and ammunition components, 16.9% fire control equipment, 11.6% weapons of various calibres and 4.1% components for combat aircraft.
By contrast, the value of all Swiss goods exports (including precious metals, gemstones and art) dropped by around four percent last year, Seco said. The share of war material in overall Swiss exports stood at around 0.3%.
Last November, Swiss voters rejected a people’s initiative that wanted to prevent the central bank, pension funds and foundations from investing in companies that make weapons.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Switzerland exported half a billion francs worth of arms in six months
This content was published on
Swiss companies exported CHF501 million (around $530 million) in war materiel in the first half of the year, almost twice as much as the same period in 2019.
This content was published on
The government in its official information brochure for voters describes its policy of trading war material as restrictive, transparent, tough and not open to frequent abuses. Throughout its campaign the pacifist group for a Switzerland without an Army has tried to undermine the clean Swiss image. It has published a report by Human Rights Watch…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.