Even while they talk of world peace, the imperialist powers are busy selling weapons to third world countries. According to US Congressional report, international arms sales grew 8% last year, to nearly $36.9 billion, with the United States further consolidating its stature as the supplier of choice, especially in developing countries.

American manufacturers signed contracts for just under $18.6 billion, or about half of all weapons sold on the world market during 2000, with 68 percent of the American weapons bought by developing countries. Russia followed, with $7.7 billion in sales, then France with $4.1 billion, Germany with $1.1 billion, Britain with $600 million, China with $400 million and Italy with $100 million.

The statistics are contained in a study, “Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 1993-2000”, published by the Congressional Research Service, an arm of the Library of Congress. The report, updated each year, is one of the most authoritative resources on weapons sales available to the public. The author, Richard F. Grimmett, notes in an introduction that developing nations remain the largest market for weapons, and a growing one.

Worldwide arms sales rose in 2000 for the third year in a row. The previous year, international weapons sales were nearly $34 billion, when measured in constant year 2000 dollars. The value of sales agreements with developing nations was $25.4 billion in 2000, the highest in constant dollars since 1994. The two leaders in arms sales, the United States and Russia, both increased their new contracts in 2000.

Russia’s principal clients for weapons are India and China.

The Emirates, by virtue of its blockbuster purchase of jets from the United States, led the developing world in signing weapons contracts in 2000, with $7.4 billion. India, which signed $4.8 billion in sales deals, ranked second, followed by South Korea, which signed $2.3 billion in contracts.