Experts of the US Congress have published a data report, according to which Russia is in second place in terms of arms exportation in the world. Leadership is also retained by the US.
Recall that at the end of 2014 Washington had earned $10 billion more than in 2013. The total volume of US arms exports amounted to $36.2 billion last year. The US significantly increased volumes with the help of contracts with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, which allowed the US to remain the world's largest exporter of weapons, controlling more than 50% of the market.
According to US experts, Moscow delivered arms to its partners worth $10.2 billion in 2014, slightly less than in 2013 ($10.3 billion). Sweden is in 3rd place, its volume of arms exports are estimated at $5.5 billion. The next are France ($4.4 billion) and China ($2.2 billion), Interfax reports referring to The New York Times.
The main purchaser of arms in the world in 2014 was South Korea. Against the backdrop of tense relations with North Korea it bought weapons worth $7.8 billion. This is $7 billion in comparison with the weapons Seoul purchased from the United States previously. Iraq is after South Korea with a volume of purchases of $7.3 billion. The publication stresses that Baghdad has to strengthen its military forces after the US troops withdrew from the country. Brazil is in the third place. The country bought weapons costing $6.5 billion in 2014.
According to the report, sales of weapons in the world rose slightly in 2014 in comparison with 2013 (from $70.1 to $71.8 billion). According to the report, the market growth has almost stopped because of the overall negative economic situation.
