In March 2020, Finland granted permits for the export of military vehicle parts to the United Arab Emirates for a total of EUR 139.3 million. The deal covers almost all of Finland’s arms exports last year.
The information was included in the latest Finnish arms control Report The production is independent of SaferGlobe, a Finnish think tank.
The recipient of the parts was the United Arab Emirates company Calidus, which used them in the manufacture of military vehicles. The Finnish authorities have no influence on where the company sells the vehicles once they have been assembled.
"Finland has given the United Arab Emirates free rein to export Finnish components as part of its war products for decades," SaferGlobe researcher Kari Paasonen said.
Permits issued by the state for trade are noteworthy not only in terms of value, but also in terms of the agreed duration. The export license for vehicle axles is valid until the end of 2039 and the license for gearboxes until the end of 2050.
Previously, permits issued in 2017-2020 have been valid for an average of only two years. Only one percent of export licenses are valid for more than ten years.
Finland suspended the issuance of arms export licenses to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in 2018 due to the countries’ involvement in hostilities in Yemen.
The UAE announced its withdrawal from Yemen in 2019, but announced in February 2020 that it would resume operations.
Exports of civilian weapons go beyond military material
According to data provided by SaferGlobe, the total value of Finnish arms exports in 2020 was EUR 161 million, the lowest level since 2011 and a drop of about 20% compared to the previous year.
The decline was evident in exports of both military vehicles and other military equipment and civilian stations.
Despite the contraction, however, the value of Finnish arms exports in 2020 was still double that of SaferGlobe when data collection began in 2002.
The brainstorming also noted that the value of civilian exports exceeded the value of military material for the first time in 20 years when SaferGlobe had collected statistics. Exports of civilian weapons amounted to about EUR 81 million and exports of military equipment to about EUR 80 million.
Civilian weapons are exported mainly for hunting or shooting sports, while military materials have been developed primarily for military use. These include, in addition to weapons, vehicles and explosives, security materials, production technology and software.
The SaferGlobe think tank has collected export statistics from the Finnish Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs and from customs.
However, 2020 was the third consecutive year that the Police Board was unable to provide SaferGlobe with export statistics, citing data collection problems.
Source: The Nordic Page