Norway increases defence exports despite suspending licences for UAE

Norway’s defence exports rose sharply in the year 2017, according to the annual white paper on the country’s defence exports released by the Norwegian government in June. In 2017 Norway exported a total value of NOK 6.3bn of defence-related products, compared to NOK 4.8bn in 2016, an increase of 33%.  The value of exports of defence-related services, repairs, production rights and brokerage dropped; 42% lower than in 2016 at NOK 520m. The export of dual-use items for military end-use was NOK 450m.

Exports to Norway’s traditional defence trading partners Sweden, Finland and its NATO allies accounted for 63% of exports of arms and ammunition in 2017, and 80% of other ‘defence-related products’. The value of defence exports to the US, Canada, Germany, Turkey and the UAE fell compared to 2016.

The paper also contains details of denied applications for licences to export defence products and dual-use items for military end-use. Twenty-five applications for licences were denied in 2017. Norway suspended licences for the export of arms and ammunition to the UAE in December 2017, due to the conflict in Yemen.  Exports to Saudi Arabia are not permitted.

‘By international standards, Norway maintains a high level of transparency about defence-related exports, when it comes to both access to information about the exports themselves and about the Ministry’s processing of export licence applications for defence-related products, in line with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs guidelines,’ said Eriksen Søreide, Minister of Foreign Affairs. ‘The Government considers it important to continue to ensure this level of transparency.’

The white paper also outlines Norway’s international efforts on export control and non-proliferation, as well as co-operation between government agencies.

To see the white paper, go to:
https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/meld.-st.-19-2017