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Fri, 24 Oct, 2014 01:26:48 AM FTimes-STT Report, Oct 24  File picture of Finnish authority is handing over armed vehicle to Swedish authority.Photo Lehtikuva. The volume of arms exports has increased significantly over the recent years.
According to SaferGlobe Research Network, the country exported arms worth about EUR 224 million in 2013, which was almost double the exports of the previous year.
Safer Globe Executive Manager Jarmo Pykälä attributes the export increase to trade with Sweden.
According to Pykälä, without the EUR 145 million deliveries of armoured vehicles to Sweden, the figure last year would have been more or less at the same level as the previous year.
Without the Swedish trade, the total exports would have been 81 million euros, which is slightly less than the average of the previous three years. 
File picture of armed vehicle manufactured in Patria factory. Photo Lehtikuva. Poland was Finland’s second most important export destination, thanks to the armoured vehicles trade. In the beginning of 2000s, Poland ordered nearly 700 armoured vehicles from Patria. Bahrain made it on the top-ten list of arms export destination. According to Finnish Customs foreign trade statistics, civilian firearms exports and cartridges totalled 67 million euros. As in previous years, the majority, or 40 per cent, of civilian firearms went to the United States. Other major export destinations were the traditional hunting grounds such as Australia, Canada, Sweden and Norway. Not all the firearms and cartridges are necessarily made in Finland, as some of the exports were in the country on transit.
Earlier in 2013, SaferGlobe Research Network said the export of firearms in the year 2012 was the highest in the previous 10 years.
In 2012, the exports were altogether worth EUR 113 million, although the country declined a number of arms purchase applications made by different nations.
The group that time observed that exports to the Middle East region had fell, but pointed out that exports of military cartridges to Turkey had increased significantly compared to the previous year.
On the other hand, Finland also exported arms and military equipments to countries having poor human rights record.
The country also disapproved a number of purchase orders from different countries such as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
In 2010, Finland granted Bahrain an export licence worth EUR 875,000 in two separate consignments of precision rifles. In contrast, last year Bahrain wanted to get more cartridges but the defence ministry did not respond to the purchase appeal.
In 2012, exports of ammunition to Saudi Arabia were worth EUR 195,000. Moreover, the country rejected all the 349 purchase orders made by different countries seeking silencer rifles.
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Finland Times
| Thursday, 18 April, 2024 |
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