Swiss companies exported CHF742.8 million ($801 million) worth of war materiel to 67 countries in 2021, down 18% on the previous year, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) said on Friday.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/jc
Español
es
Las ventas de armas en Suiza caen casi una quinta parte
These arms exports accounted for 0.21% of total merchandise exports from Switzerland, according to SECOExternal link, which is responsible for granting arms export licences.
The five largest importers of Swiss war materiel were Germany (with deliveries worth CHF123.4 million), followed by Denmark (CHF96 million), the US (CHF90.2 million), Romania (CHF87.1 million) and Botswana (CHF63.5 million).
Saudi Arabia comes in sixth (deliveries worth CHF51.3 million). The list also includes the United Arab Emirates, which like Saudi Arabia is involved in the Yemen war.
The main transactions were wheeled armoured vehicles to Denmark (CHF94.6 million) and Romania (CHF86.9 million); various types of ammunition and ammunition components to Germany (CHF71.9 million); and wheeled armoured vehicles to Botswana (CHF63.5 million), says SECO.
Exports to Europe represented 65% of the total (62% in 2020), while Asia represented 10.9% (18.8%), Africa 9.6% (9.6%), the Americas 13.3% (8.5%) and Australia 1.2% (1.1%).
Popular Stories
More
Climate change
Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
This content was published on
Primary school children in the Swiss canton of Nidwalden will not be allowed to use mobile phones and other electronic devices..
This content was published on
Switzerland has increased maximum possible output from hydropower by 43 megawatts compared to last year, according to the Swiss energy ministry.
This content was published on
Campaigners seeking a ban on Swiss arms exports have withdrawn their initiative that aimed to stop weapons exports to countries in conflict.
This content was published on
How have arms found their way from neutral Switzerland, a country that likes to underline its humanitarian tradition, to conflict countries?
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.