The Global Arms Trade
How the international weapons market works, who the major exporters and importers are, and why regulating arms transfers remains so difficult.
Who Sells, Who Buys
The global arms trade is one of the most lucrative and politically consequential industries on earth. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the five largest arms exporters are the United States, Russia, France, China, and Germany, collectively accounting for roughly 75 percent of all major weapons exports. The largest importers are concentrated in the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, regions where security competition is most intense.
Arms sales are not purely commercial transactions. They are tools of foreign policy. The United States sells advanced weapons to allies like Saudi Arabia, Israel, Japan, and Australia to strengthen partnerships and maintain regional balances. Russia uses arms sales to sustain relationships with India, China, and various African and Middle Eastern states. France has built a particularly strong position in the Middle East market, with the Rafale fighter jet becoming a major export success. For exporting states, arms sales generate revenue, support domestic defense industries, and create strategic dependencies.