ROME: Italy’s defense exports rose 61 percent in 2009 from the previous year, largely due to Italian industry’s participation in the four-nation Eurofighter Typhoon program. This year-to-year spike in arms trade primarily resulted from the sale of Typhoons to Saudi Arabia, which was conducted by the U.K.
The figures released by the Italian government indicate that Italy exported EUR4.9 billion ($6.8 billion) worth of arms-related goods in 2009, compared to EUR3 billion ($4.4 billion) in 2008. The latter figure represented a 29 percent rise from 2007 when arms exports totaled EUR2.13 billion. According to the U.S. Congressional Research Service, from 2001 through 2008, Italy was the 10th-largest supplier of arms worldwide.
The leading destinations for Italian defense-related products in 2009 were Saudi Arabia (due again to the Eurofighter Typhoon contract) at 16.4 percent or EUR1.1 billion; Germany, with EUR553.5 million; the U.S., with EUR495.4 million; the U.K., with 379.6 million; Qatar, with EUR317.3 million; and India, with EUR242.8 million.
Italy also imported some EUR1.17 billion worth of military items, with the U.S. (EUR711.8 million) by far the largest supplier.
