German Arms-Exports Permit Crackdown Hits Airbus, Heckler & Koch

A drop in German arms exports this year is a sign that tighter regulations on some sales are working, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said, snubbing industry calls to ease the new rules.

Sales of German armaments, ranked third-biggest globally last year, fell by 700 million euros ($900 million) in the first six months of 2014, including a 90 percent drop in small arms sales, Gabriel told reporters today in Berlin. The German government’s policy of cutting permits for small arms sales and defense goods to “difficult” countries is paying off, the Social Democrat said.