Survey Shows Small Arms Trade Has Doubled Since 2008

In its 2012 report released this week, Small Arms Survey found that legal global trade in small arms has grown to at least $8.5 billion a year. If the illicit trade were added, it would come to more than $10 billion, the weapons research group said Monday. The Small Arms Survey had estimated the global trade in small arms, munitions and spare parts at more than $4 billion four years ago.  The countries that export more than $100 million of small arms were the United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Austria, Japan, Switzerland, Russia, France, South Korea, Belgium and Spain.