The government’s arms sales unit, Defence & Security Exports in the Department for International Trade (formerly UKTI DSO), identifies priority markets for arms sales. These countries are the main focus of its cross-government arms export campaigns.
2019/20 ‘key markets’
- Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa)
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belgium
- Canada
- Central European Network (Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria)
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Latin America (Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Panama, Argentina, Mexico)
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Netherlands
- Nordic Baltic Network (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia)
- Oman
- Philippines
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Republic of Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- United States of America
(Hansard, 09.06.2020, Q52663) and, on “Africa”, (Hansard, 13.07.2020, Q72939)
2018/19 ‘core markets’
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy (lead for Mediterranean Defence Network includes Spain & Portugal)
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Latin America (Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Panama, Argentina, Mexico)
- Malaysia
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt)
- Oman
- Philippines
- Poland (within Central European Network and including Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria)
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Angola)
- Sweden (lead for Nordic Baltic Network including Finland, Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia)
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- United States of America
(Hansard, 12.7.2018, Q.161130)
2017/18 ‘core markets’
- Algeria
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy (lead for Mediterranean Defence Network includes Spain & Portugal)
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Lithuania (lead for Baltic Network includes Estonia & Latvia)
- Luxemburg
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Oman
- Poland (lead for Central European Network includes Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia)
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- United States of America
2016/17 priority markets
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Lithuania
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Oman
- Poland
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Thailand
- Turkey
- UAE
- USA
2014/15 & 2015/16 Priority Markets
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Brazil
- France
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Malaysia
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Turkey
- UAE
- USA
(Lords Hansard, 10.7.2014, Col.WA79-82)
In October 2015, in answer to a parliamentary question asking when the 2015/2016 priority market list would be published, the government stated that UKTI Defence and Security Organisation expects to publish the next list of priority markets before the end of the financial year. Until then, the current list remains extant.
(Hansard, 28.10.2015, question 12128)
2013 Priority Markets
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Europe/NATO/EU (as a collective market)
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Kuwait
- Libya
- Malaysia
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- South Korea
- Thailand
- Turkey
- UAE
- USA
(Letter from Vince Cable to the parliamentary Committees on Arms Export Controls, 14.2.2013)
In December 2013, the UK government listed the 52 countries where UKTI DSO is currently supporting defence and security commercial campaigns and prospects
, though it was stated that this was not an exhaustive list:
Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, UAE, USA, Vietnam.
(Hansard, 3.12.2013, Col. 628W)
2012 Priority Markets
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe/NATO/EU (as a collective market), India, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, USA
Sourced from a letter by Mark Prisk, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, 16 April 2012. He stated that the updated list of UKTI DSO’s priority markets was provided to the Committees on Arms Export Controls on 6 February 2012.
The letter also stated that While UKTI DSO will focus resources for priority markets, it will not ignore opportunites in other markets.
2011/12 – no published list
June 2011: A parliamentary question from Jeremy Corbyn asked for the priority markets identified for 2011-12. The 7 June 2011 answer stated that UKTI DSO has not published a list of priority markets for 2011/12, as this is under review, but plans to do so later in the year. While UKTI DSO will focus resources for priority markets, it will not ignore opportunities in other markets.
May 2011: The 4 May answer to an Freedom of Information request about the current UKTI DSO priority market list said that the only country that had be removed from the 2010/11 list was Libya, which was removed on 22 February.
2010/11 Priority Markets
Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, India, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Pakistan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, USA (Hansard 28 June 2010, Col. 418-9W)
2009/10 Priority Markets
The current list of UKTI DSO Priority Markets is: Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Greece, India, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, UAE and the USA. UKTI DSO is supporting campaigns in a total of 52 countries.
(Hansard, 9 March 2010, Col. 290W)
2008/09 Priority Markets
Priority Markets
: Algeria, Australia, Greece, India, Japan, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, USA.
Other Key Markets
: Bahrain, Brunei, Denmark, Indonesia, Kuwait, Libya, Norway, Pakistan, South Africa, UAE. (UKTI DSO letter, 17 December 2009)
