US arms sales to the Third World countries increased sharply by 66 percent and nearly matched the Soviet sales which declined by 47 percent last year. The New York Times reported on Tuesday quoting a congressional research service.
The USA sold arms worth $ 9.2 billion and the Soviet Union worth $9.9 billion, the study says. Together the two super powers accounted for about two thirds of arms sold to the developing countries.
STA1The American share in the sales jumped from 15 percent in 1987 to 31 percent last year while the Soviet share came down from 50 percent to 33 percent, the study says.
STAI The rise in US sales, according to the study, is because of new orders from traditional buyers and an agreement with Kuwait for purchase of 40 F18 aircraft and missiles estimated at $ 1.9 billion.
China, which is emerging as a major arms supplier, sold weapons worth $ 3.1 billion last year to Third World countries, says the study which is to be published later this week. South Asian countries, including Pakistan, Iran and Iraq and West Asian Nations buy more than 90 percent of arms sold in China.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 18, 1989
