NEWS RELEASES
AXWORTHY ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF ANNUAL REPORT ON EXPORTS OF CANADIAN MILITARY GOODS
December 15, 1999 (4:40 p.m. EST) No. 274
AXWORTHY ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF ANNUAL REPORT ON
EXPORTS OF CANADIAN MILITARY GOODS
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced that he has released the 1998 Annual Report on
Exports of Military Goods from Canada.
"Canada is actively promoting greater international transparency in the trade and control of conventional military
weapons," said Mr. Axworthy. "Canadian export controls on military goods are therefore part of a larger and
constantly evolving international effort. At the same time, Canada works with other countries to ensure that the
interests of legitimate users are taken into account in decisions affecting the export of military goods."
The report continues to set high standards of transparency while protecting sensitive commercial information on
specific transactions. Although other exporting countries issue such reports, Canada provides more details
about the types of goods being exported.
Canada has one of the world's strictest systems for screening potential exports of military equipment. Canada
closely controls military exports to countries involved in, or under imminent threat of hostilities, or whose
governments have a persistent record of serious violations of their citizens' human rights, unless it can be
demonstrated that there is no reasonable risk that the goods might be used against the civilian population.
Canada's total military exports are modest by world standards. The 1998 Annual Report indicates that exports
to low-income countries were less than 0.01 percent of Canada's total military exports in 1998.
Canada is not a major exporter of military small arms and light weapons. The majority of the transactions
reported involve modest sales of firearms for civilian possession and use, which have little military utility. Fully
automatic firearms, such as assault rifles, can only be exported from Canada to a small group of 13 countries
with which Canada has negotiated reciprocal defence, research, development and production arrangements.
Copies of the Annual Report are available from the Enquiries Centre of the Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade (DFAIT) at 1-800-267-8376.
The document is also available on the DFAIT Export and Import Controls Web page:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/~eicb/export/Military98/mil98front-e.htm
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
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