According to the Finnish arms control report published by SaferGlobe, the value of Finland’s arms exports in 2022 amounted to €254.2 million. Of this total, €125 million derived from military equipment, while civilian firearms accounted for €129 million.
Military equipment is developed primarily for military use, encompassing not only weapons, vehicles, and explosives but also protective materials, production technology, and software.
Civilian firearms are exported chiefly for hunting and sport-shooting purposes. However, due to legislative nuances, items such as pistols, shotguns, and ammunition may be exported under “civilian arms exports” even to official authorities, including the military. The actual value of exported military equipment rose by over €50 million compared to the previous year, and the focus of these exports shifted towards Europe. Whereas in 2021 less than half of military equipment exports were destined for European markets, by 2022 that figure had surpassed 90 per cent. The largest export destinations by value were Latvia, Norway, and Estonia. Exports to the Middle East also climbed, increasing from €1.2 million to €2 million; exports to Israel and Qatar, for instance, nearly doubled.
In 2022, export licences for military equipment amounted to €119.2 million—less than in 2021. These exports will only materialise at a later date. The majority of licences were granted for European destinations, with Sweden constituting the largest export market by value. Five licences extended for over a decade, the longest being valid until 2042 for Sako Oy’s precision rifle blueprints destined for Switzerland.
Civilian firearms exports were valued at €129.1 million—an all-time high in SaferGlobe’s twenty-year history of compiling these statistics. The value of civilian firearms exports has consistently increased year after year, and in 2022, it surpassed the value of military equipment exports for the third consecutive reporting year. The United States, Canada, and Sweden were the leading destinations by value. The National Police Board, responsible for issuing civilian firearm export licences, was unable to provide SaferGlobe with civilian firearms export data; therefore, our analysis of civilian firearms exports is based on Customs (Tulli) export statistics.
Finland’s international defence materiel aid to Ukraine does not appear in Finland’s export statistics. According to SaferGlobe’s information, commercial exports of civilian firearms to Ukraine declined from the previous year; however, at the same time, Finland made substantial donations of military and defence equipment to Ukraine. Over the course of the year, the Finnish Government has discussed defence equipment exports to Ukraine in its sessions. Moreover, the Ministry of Defence has both requested and granted re-export licences for military and defence products bound for Ukraine.
These findings are detailed in SaferGlobe’s arms control report, now updated with 2022 export statistics obtained from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and Finnish Customs (Tulli).
