{"id":57566,"date":"2018-01-29T05:39:49","date_gmt":"2018-01-29T05:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=57566"},"modified":"2018-01-29T05:39:49","modified_gmt":"2018-01-29T05:39:49","slug":"australia-spend-3-1-billion-increase-stake-global-arms-exports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/australia-spend-3-1-billion-increase-stake-global-arms-exports.html","title":{"rendered":"Australia to spend $3.1 billion to increase stake in global arms exports"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia to spend $3.1 billion to increase stake in global arms exports<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Monday Australian military equipment manufacturers will be offered government-backed loans as part of a A$3.8 billion ($3.1 billion) package to become one of the world\u2019s top 10 defense exporters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia said in 2016 it would boost defense spending by A$30 billion by 2021, purchasing frigates, armored personnel carriers, strike fighter jets, drones and a fleet of new submarines – many of which would be built at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

The defense industry has struggled to obtain finance from traditional lenders that have been unwilling to fund the arms industry, so Australia has created a A$3.8 billion loan scheme for companies seeking finance to export military equipment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia is around the 20th largest exporter. Given the size of our defense budget we should be higher up the scale than that,\u201d Turnbull told reporters in Sydney.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to get into the top 10,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christopher Pyne, the minister for the defense industry, said Australia would target sales to the United States, Canada, Britain and New Zealand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s annual defense budget was worth A$34.6 billion this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

The scheme is also meant to arrest a slide in Australia\u2019s manufacturing sector and provide some support for its economy, which has been hampered by record-low wage growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia saw a record number of jobs created in 2017 but its manufacturing sector has shrunk significantly following the end of domestic car manufacturing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Employment in manufacturing peaked in mid-1989 at roughly 1.17 million, or 15 percent of the entire workforce. That shrank to 877,000, or 7 percent, late last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia has seen a wave of new jobs but companies are not keen on paying employees more, leaving wage growth near record lows in an unwelcome drag on consumer spending and inflation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s expansion plans come amid increased global demand for military hardware, led by China and Middle East nations, prompting criticism of Canberra from aid agencies who argue Australia could make human rights violations worse if weapons were sold to the wrong buyers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Analysts said Australia would need to significantly expand sales beyond its traditional partners to have any chance of fulfilling its ambition.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are possibilities, but I doubt U.S. interest especially will go beyond niche capabilities,\u201d said Euan Graham, director of the international security program at Australian think tank the Lowy Institute.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-australia-defence\/australia-to-spend-3-1-billion-to-increase-stake-in-global-arms-exports-idUSKBN1FI08I<\/span><\/p>\n

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