{"id":79455,"date":"2017-06-22T09:30:52","date_gmt":"2017-06-22T09:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/saudi-arabia-top-non-u-s-destination-for-canadian-arms-exports-federal-report.html"},"modified":"2017-06-22T09:30:52","modified_gmt":"2017-06-22T09:30:52","slug":"saudi-arabia-top-non-u-s-destination-for-canadian-arms-exports-federal-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usa.timesofnews.com\/breaking-news\/political\/saudi-arabia-top-non-u-s-destination-for-canadian-arms-exports-federal-report.html","title":{"rendered":"Saudi Arabia top non-U.S. destination for Canadian arms exports: federal report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saudi Arabia has regained its title as Canada’s top non-U.S. destination for exporting military goods after having been narrowly bumped last year by the United Kingdom, according to\u00a0a newly release federal report on arms sales.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The export of military goods report<\/a>, prepared by Global Affairs Canada and tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, reveals that the Saudi government purchased over $142 million worth of Canadian arms. This accounted for nearly 20 per cent of all Canadian munitions exports reported in the annual filing.<\/p>\n

The report does not factor in\u00a0arms exports to the United States,\u00a0due to a long-standing\u00a0exemption agreement. However, as stated in the report,\u00a0as a general rule shipments to the U.S. account for nearly 50 percent of all military good exports from Canada.<\/p>\n

\"military <\/p>\n

The total value of military goods sold abroad\u00a0to countries other than the U.S.\u00a0last year nearly reached $718 million dollars. Canada’s NATO partners and traditional allies made up the bulk of the export market, including Australia, which purchased $115.8 million of Canadian-made equipment \u2014 second behind Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The sales to Saudi Arabia, however, will likely the draw the most attention and potential criticism from human rights groups, which have fought a protracted battle to halt the $14.8 billion sale of light armoured vehicles by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada \u2014 a deal\u00a0approved by the former Conservative government, but green-lit by the Liberals.<\/p>\n

\"saudi <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The executive director for the anti-armament group Project Ploughshares says the most recent report once again signals an unwillingness on the part of the government to change its stance of Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

“Just the fact that the top recipient of Canadian military goods is what is known to be one of worst human rights violators in the world must in my view raise some questions about the purported strength of Canadian military export controls and the country’s commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights internationally,” said Cesar Jaramillo.<\/p>\n