Canada Aiming to Sell Munitions to Developing Countries
The federal government is looking to sell Canadian-made guns and military equipment to developing countries due to recent budget defence cuts by the United States as well as the end of Canadian combat operation in Afghanistan. Though this brings into question certain human rights issues, the reasoning behind the decision is not to expand Canada’s share of the global arms trade, but instead to assist the $12 billion industry through some difficult times.
According to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, “This request comes after the conclusion of Canada’s combat role in the NATO-led mission to Afghanistan, and when demand from traditional markets for defence products has significantly decreased, forcing the Canadian defence industry to look for new market opportunities.”
For the Conservative party, the hope is that in bolstering Canada’s defense industry as an economic priority more jobs will be created in the manufacturing sector, offsetting the thousands of jobs that have recently been lost.
Canada has recently added Colombia to its list of countries that Canadian defence companies can sell their product to, and are currently looking into adding India, Kuwait, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and South Korea, among others.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/01/05/canada-planning-to-sell-guns-and-military-equipment-to-developing-countries-to-maintain-domestic-arms-industry/
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