America Maintains Lead as World’s Largest Arms Exporter; Europe Now Its Main Customer

Sajid Raza March 14, 2025

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A worker handles metal projectiles at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania in April 2024. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

CNN – The United States has solidified its position as the world’s largest exporter of weapons, with Europe emerging as its primary customer.

According to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the U.S. accounted for 43% of global weapons exports between 2020 and 2024, surpassing France, the second-largest exporter, by more than four times. This marks an increase from the 35% share America held between 2015 and 2019, the think tank revealed in a report published Monday.

Europe’s dependence on U.S.-made arms has grown significantly over the past decade. In the last five years, which include the period following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, American-made weapons accounted for nearly two-thirds of arms imported by European NATO members. This is a significant rise from just over half between 2015 and 2019.

For the first time in two decades, SIPRI notes that the majority of U.S. arms exports were directed to the broader European region rather than the Middle East. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine has received vast quantities of weapons and military equipment, including substantial shipments from the U.S.

The data underscores Europe’s two-fold reliance on the U.S. for its security — depending not only on American-made weapons but also on assurances of U.S. military support in the event of future conflicts.

However, this dependency is beginning to shift. Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged European nations to take more “responsibility” for their own security. While the U.S. remains committed to the NATO alliance, he emphasized that the U.S. will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship that fosters dependency.

In a further sign of this distancing, the Trump administration previously held talks with Moscow to explore an end to the war in Ukraine, without involving officials from the European Union or Ukraine.

In response, Europe is preparing to increase its own defense capabilities. Last year, EU nations spent about 1.9% of their combined GDP on defense, but there are growing calls within both Europe and the U.S. for a more substantial investment. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently argued that European military spending should exceed 3%.

On Thursday, all 27 EU member states approved proposals that could unlock billions of euros for defense spending. The EU leaders discussed a plan proposed by the head of the EU’s executive arm, which would provide loans totaling up to €150 billion ($163 billion) to member countries. The plan will be further reviewed in upcoming meetings later this month.