hum the business of The Swiss arms industry. War material for CHF 728 million sold by the industry 2019 abroad, as the state announced Secretariat for economic Affairs (Seco). A remarkable increase of 43 per cent, or 218 million Swiss francs compared to the previous year.

Also, in comparison with a broader horizon in 2019, taking as a particularly good year. Only once, in 2011, led the Switzerland-more war material. The until today valid record is 872 million francs.

The increase is in accordance with Seco and in particular major arms transactions with Denmark, Romania and Bangladesh due to the. While Denmark and Romania procured for 150 or, respectively, 111 million Swiss francs wheeled APCS in Switzerland, ordered Bangladesh's air defense system, including the ammunition for 55 million francs.

weapons can also be used for conflict States

While the defence industry forward to a good order situation, are the export figures for the year 2019 of the Federal Council rather unpleasant. Because you refute in retrospect, the Central Argument of the government to 2018, put forward for the easing of exports of war material.

The controversy is still in good memory: In the spring of 2018, the Federal Council, arms exports, decided in particular, for States to facilitate internal conflicts. The Federal Council justified this mainly with economic arguments. The easing of the war material export regulation is necessary to protect the domestic arms industry and to support.

Schneider-Ammann complains about falling sales

the former Minister of the economy Johann Schneider-Ammann said in September 2018 in the national Council: The security of Switzerland is not only guaranteed, if Switzerland keep a certain amount of armor autonomy. "The Federal Council also wants to jobs, and not only in large flagship companies of this armor activities, he wants to also, and especially, the Jobs in the SME subcontractors." He added: "sales of military equipment tends to be decreasing." Adjusted for inflation, the exports in 2017 would correspond almost exactly to those of 1990.

Under intense public pressure, the Federal Council decided in December 2018, however, to suspend the easing. Now, it shows that the industry has also overcome without this measure, the decline in the years 2015 and 2016. Instead of the Federal Council mentioned negative trends, there is a clear growth trend.

a critique of the GSoA

The group for a Switzerland without an army (GSoA) denounces this item in a media release. While the arms industry and its Lobby in Bern moan about serbelnde shops, showed the latest Figures from the state Secretariat for economic Affairs (Seco), a different picture.

in Addition, the GSoA criticizes each of the shops. Kick-off takes you around the delivery of anti-aircraft device for Bangladesh. A report of the human rights organization Amnesty International show that in the last few years in Bangladesh, several Hundred people in out-of-court executions were killed. Also deliveries to countries such as Bahrain or Saudi Arabia, which are involved in the Yemen war, were highly problematic, writes the GSoA.

Created: 03.03.2020, 13:12 PM