# Canadian arms trade

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{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2011}}
'''Canadian Arms Sales''' are governed by the country's [Export and Imports Permits Act](/source/Export_and_Imports_Permits_Act).<ref name="scgm">{{cite news |last1=CHASE |first1=STEVEN |title=Critics question whether Global Affairs can impartially investigate arms exports |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-critics-question-whether-global-affairs-can-impartially-investigate/ |publisher=The Globe and Mail Inc |date=7 October 2020}}</ref> Sales with the United States are also specifically regulated by the 1959 [Defence Production Sharing Arrangement](/source/Defence_Production_Sharing_Agreement).

As of 2000, the largest Canadian-owned arms-exporters were [Canadian Aviation Electronics](/source/CAE_(company)) (aka CAE), the 61st-largest defence corporation in the world, and Dy4 Systems (a division of [Curtiss-Wright](/source/Curtiss-Wright)), the 94th-largest.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} Foreign-owned companies based in Canada, such as [General Motors](/source/General_Motors) and [Bell Helicopter](/source/Bell_Helicopter) also contribute significantly.

==Current policies==
thumb|400px|right|Countries on the Canadian Automatic Firearms Country Control List{{update inline|date=May 2016}}

===Automatic Firearms Country Control List (AFCCL)===
Canadian Government guidance for export controls on weapons systems is published by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-91-575/page-2.html#h-1|title = Consolidated federal laws of canada, Automatic Firearms Country Control List|date = October 14, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last= |first= |title=Consolidation: Automatic Firearms Country Control List SOR/91-575 |date=August 18, 2024 |url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR-91-575.pdf |access-date= |publisher=Minister of Justice |last2= |first2= |author-link= }}.</ref>  The Automatic Firearms Country Control List, amended January 2015, is a list of approved export nations which include Albania, Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-91-575/page-2.html|title=Consolidated federal laws of canada, Automatic Firearms Country Control List|date=October 14, 2020}}</ref>

==Current sales==

===Saudi Arabia===

525 [MOWAG Piranha](/source/MOWAG_Piranha) armoured personnel carriers (APCs) have been sold by [General Dynamics](/source/General_Dynamics) to [Saudi Arabia](/source/Saudi_Arabia) since 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php|title=Trade Registers|access-date=December 19, 2011|archive-date=April 14, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100414022558/http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/trade_register.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2018 [CBC](/source/CBC_News) obtained records showing that the deal struck in 2014 involved 928 of the most modern [LAV](/source/Armored_car_(military))s, the [General Dynamics Land Systems Canada](/source/General_Dynamics_Land_Systems_Canada) [LAV 6](/source/LAV_(armoured_vehicle)). Of those, 354 are standard troop carriers, 119 of them are "heavy duty" with 105 millimetre cannons affixed to the turret, another 119 are anti tank versions of the LAV 6 and another 119 are "direct fire support" with a two-man turret and a 30 millimetre chain gun.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-saudi-arms-deal-1.4579772|title=Canada's arms deal with Saudi Arabia includes 'heavy assault' vehicles|work=CBC News|access-date=2018-03-20|language=en}}</ref>

===Russian Federation===

Canada sold about $329,000 worth of equipment to the [Russian Federation](/source/Russian_Federation) between 2007 and 2011, mostly in firearms, armored equipment and software technology. However, due to the [Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation](/source/Annexation_of_Crimea_by_the_Russian_Federation), Canada is seeking to suspend all sales to Moscow as part of its move to implement sanctions in support of [Ukraine](/source/Ukraine).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-03-21 |title=NDP calls on Canada to suspend military sales to Russia over Ukraine crisis - Winnipeg Free Press |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/ndp-calls-on-canada-to-suspend-military-sales-to-russia-over-ukraine-crisis-251483261.html?device=mobile |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606204012/http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/ndp-calls-on-canada-to-suspend-military-sales-to-russia-over-ukraine-crisis-251483261.html?device=mobile |archive-date=2014-06-06 |access-date= |website=www.winnipegfreepress.com}}</ref>

== Cultural Influence ==
The production of arms and munitions in Canada has long had a major impact on the artistic and cultural production of the country. [Henrietta Mabel May](/source/Mabel_May) was hired by the Canadian War Memorials Fund to depict masses of women entering the workplace in her painting ''Women Making Shells'' (1919).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Brandon |first=Laura |url=https://www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/war-art-in-canada/ |title=War Art in Canada: A Critical History |publisher=Art Canada Institute |year=2021 |isbn=978-1-4871-0271-5}}</ref> Likewise, [Paraskeva Clark](/source/Paraskeva_Clark) documented women's rigging of parachutes and other key equipment outside of a [Trenton, Ontario](/source/Trenton%2C_Ontario) air base in ''Parachute Riggers'' (1947).<ref name=":0" /> Both works speak to the gendered legacy of the arms industry, which was initially staffed almost exclusively by women left on the home front during the First and Second World Wars.<ref name=":0" />

In later years, sites of military production became flash points for criticism and protest art. [Charles Stankievech](/source/Charles_Stankievech)'s ''The Soniferous Æther of the Land Beyond the Land Beyond'' (2012) explores the environmental and social impact of military installations in the arctic circle.<ref name=":0" /> Indigenous artist [Adrian Stimson](/source/Adrian_Stimson) participated in the Canadian Forces Artist Program and created ''Trench'', a commemoration of the more than 4,000 indigenous soldiers who served in [World War I](/source/World_War_I), while stationed in [Kandahar, Afghanistan](/source/Kandahar).<ref name=":0" /> Both works explore the social role of the arms trade and larger [military industrial complex](/source/Military%E2%80%93industrial_complex), in the unique context of Canadian culture. 

== Annual reports ==

===1986===
In 1986, [Project Ploughshares](/source/Project_Ploughshares) organised a protest against the conference ''HiTech '86'' which was hosted by the Canadian government, advertising potential foreign markets to military-based contractors.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.perc.ca/PEN/1986-08/mcgregor.html |title=Views on Canadian Arms Sales<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=August 27, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927215616/http://www.perc.ca/PEN/1986-08/mcgregor.html |archive-date=September 27, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===1991===
In 1991, the Canadian government amended the Exports and Imports Permit Act, to allow more freedom in selling [LAVs](/source/Light_armoured_vehicle) and [automatic weapon](/source/automatic_weapon)s. Because it had recently been banned from [Ottawa](/source/Ottawa) city property, the [Arms Exhibition](/source/Arms_Exhibition) ARMX'91 moved to a new home at the [Carp Airport](/source/Carp_Airport) outside the city limits.

===1992===
In 1992, the [Official Opposition](/source/Official_Opposition_(Canada)) [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Canada) introduced a Parliamentary proposal entitled ''Defence Conversion – A Liberal Priority'', which outlined three possibilities for a post-[Cold War](/source/Cold_War) Canadian arms trade, including ''"increas[ing] exports to developing countries where arms spending has been less affected by the Cold War's end – thereby adding to the misery of these countries.'', and instead advocating the third option, to ''"encourage Canadian defence companies to adjust and move away from a dependence on military production and export."''.

===1994===
In 1994, Canadian arms sales increased 48% to a total of $497.4&nbsp;million, causing a brief controversy.<ref>"Export of Military Goods from Canada Annual Report" produced by the [Export Controls Division](/source/Export_Controls_Division) of the [Ministry of Foreign Affairs](/source/Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_(Canada)).</ref> This sharp escalation contributed to Canada's position as the 7th largest supplier of military arms to Third World countries. Large sales included [GM](/source/General_Motors)-built [Light Armoured Vehicle](/source/Light_Armoured_Vehicle)s to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and [Air Defense Anti-Tank System](/source/Air_Defense_Anti-Tank_System)s and a [Tactical Air Navigation System](/source/TACAN) to Thailand.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Canadian arms sales to the Third World |url=http://www.ploughshares.ca/libraries/monitor/mons95a.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927011700/http://www.ploughshares.ca/libraries/monitor/mons95a.html |archive-date=2007-09-27 |access-date= |website=www.ploughshares.ca}}</ref>

1994 also saw Canada begin selling military arms to Algeria, Colombia, Indonesia and South Africa.

===1995===
In 1995, Canada became the 7th-largest supplier of arms to third-world countries, and the 10th largest arms dealer overall.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=NewsWatch Canada - 'Family Entertainment' at Canada's Arms Bazaar |url=https://www.sfu.ca/cmns/research/newswatch/pcc/95-8.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040926213602/https://www.sfu.ca/cmns/research/newswatch/pcc/95-8.html |archive-date=2004-09-26 |access-date= |website=www.sfu.ca}}</ref>

===2000===
In 2000, Canada's sales totalled $434&nbsp;million, across 50 nations. Large sales included eight [Howitzer](/source/Howitzer)s to Brazil, and four more [LAVs](/source/Light_armoured_vehicle) to Saudi Arabia, while smaller sales included $4.9&nbsp;million worth of rockets to Malaysia, $270,976 in simulator parts to Morocco, $50,000 worth of aircraft parts to Indonesia, $27,000 in small arms to Argentina, $21,400 worth of missile parts to Egypt.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elliott |first=Patricia |date=2002-01-28 |title=AlterNet: Opening The Books On Canadian Arms Sales |url=http://www.alternet.org/story/12299/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040708173838/http://www.alternet.org/story/12299/ |archive-date=2004-07-08 |access-date= |website=www.alternet.org}}</ref>

The year also marked the conclusion of the Canadian sale of 40 [Huey](/source/Bell_UH-1_Iroquois) military helicopters to the United States, who then refitted 33 of the craft with further military upgrades and sold them to Colombia, thus allowing Canada to bypass its restriction against selling arms to Colombia.<ref name="Amnesty International">{{Cite web |url=http://web.amnesty.org/pages/ENG-IOR300032003 |title=Amnesty International<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=August 27, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060810015620/http://web.amnesty.org/pages/ENG-IOR300032003 |archive-date=August 10, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===2001===
From 1991 through 2001, the [Filipino Department of National Defense](/source/Department_of_National_Defense_(Philippines)) imported an annual average of $1.6&nbsp;million worth of its equipment from Canada, including [aircraft part](/source/aircraft_part)s and [service pistol](/source/service_pistol)s.<ref name="Amnesty International"/> This was roughly 0.2% of the $995&nbsp;million Filipino defense budget of 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.4humanrights.org/world/fields/2067.html |title=Factbook -- Field Listing - Military expenditures - dollar figure |access-date=October 29, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724055633/http://www.4humanrights.org/world/fields/2067.html |archive-date=July 24, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===2004===
Major sales in 2004 included the sale of $346&nbsp;million worth of [Bell Helicopter](/source/Bell_Helicopter)s to Pakistan and $22&nbsp;million worth of [Pratt & Whitney Canada](/source/Pratt_%26_Whitney_Canada) aircraft engines to Indonesia.

===2011===
Canada jumped from fifteenth to twelfth largest exporter of military hardware in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Jeff |date=2011-07-08 |title=Canada is world's 12th largest arms exporter: Data |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/Canada+world+12th+largest+arms+exporter+Data/5077218/story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714034541/https://vancouversun.com/news/Canada+world+12th+largest+arms+exporter+Data/5077218/story.html |archive-date=2011-07-14 |access-date= |website=vancouversun.com}}</ref>

===2012===
Canada sold their military equipment to the [Philippines](/source/Philippines) in their signed Memorandum of Understanding agreement.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

On December 14, 2012, the Government of Canada concluded the regulatory process to amend the AFCCL. This amendment expands the AFCCL to include [Colombia](/source/Colombia), bringing the number of countries on the AFCCL to 34.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.international.gc.ca/controls-controles/about-a_propos/expor/amend-auto-modi.aspx?lang=eng|title = Amendment to the Automatic Firearms Country Control List|date = February 12, 2014}}</ref>

==References==
<references />

Category:Arms industry
Category:Weapons trade
Category:Foreign trade of Canada

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Canadian arms trade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_arms_trade) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_arms_trade?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.
