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
Demographics
Flat-hunting in Switzerland’s cheapest and most expensive municipalities
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Switzerland lifts sanctions on Syria after Assad’s fall
This content was published on
Switzerland is lifting economic sanctions on Syria, but targeted measures against figures linked to the former regime remain in place.
Thousands march in Bern calling for Gaza ceasefire
This content was published on
More than 10,000 people – or up to 20,000, according to organisers – marched through central Bern on Saturday afternoon in support for Gaza.
Zurich Pride draws large crowds amid financial strain
This content was published on
Following US President Donald Trump’s attacks on diversity initiatives, Zurich Pride fears more sponsors could pull out and is now facing financial difficulties.
Switzerland ‘deeply alarmed’ by Middle East escalation
This content was published on
Switzerland has voiced serious concern over rising tensions in the Middle East, and the UN chief says he is ‘alarmed’ by US strikes on Iran.
Switzerland among world’s most expensive for household electricity
This content was published on
According to a study by the comparison site Verivox, based on data from Global Petrol Prices, Switzerland came in tenth out of 143 countries.
Global uncertainty boosts Swiss-EU talks, says Cassis
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis says Switzerland’s talks with the European Union (EU) have been boosted by the current difficult global situation.
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.