Ripples spread from Merkel arms ban
When German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in October that her coalition Government would halt all arms equipment exports to its secondbiggest customer, Saudi Arabia, the move instantly put pressure on other major exporters to do the same.
The German ban came amid outrage over the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen and the murder of
Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, which the CIA later assessed was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
To critics, the German decision still appeared mostly symbolic, given its exports to the kingdom have been dwarfed by those of the United States,
Britain and France in recent years. None of those countries decided to join the Germans, but almost six months later, the fallout is being felt.
Concerns in Britain and France are mounting that the German ban could badly affect arms equipment exports to Saudi Arabia from other European nations. Britain’s key weapons company, BAE Systems, has concerns over its future access to crucial parts of Eurofighter Typhoon planes, partially produced in Germany. The ban has also affected air-to-air missiles for those jets, produced by a joint venture that is partially owned by European aerospace company Airbus, of which Germany is a shareholder.
The Germans banned not only fully assembled products such as ships, but also high-tech components used by firms across Europe. It may have reduced its overall arms exports, but it remains a European hub for such high-tech components.
When the Saudis agreed to buy more than 70 European fighter jets about a decade ago, they not only bought the planes but also an entire package that includes training for pilots and long-term maintenance. To maintain the planes, BAE Systems has to replace components it now no longer has easy access to.
“We’ll soon get to the point where the Saudis can’t fly their planes any more,” an unnamed source told the London-based Financial Times.
With their Yemen intervention, the supply woes may come at a sensitive time for the Saudis, but the same applies to their European business partners. A no-deal Brexit next month could disrupt supply chains far more than a German arms exports ban.
The question is which approach will prevail: Germany’s responsiveness to human rights criticism — or the more lucrative alternative pursued by Britain, France and others.