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U.S. Sells More Than $175 Billion in Weapons to Foreign Governments, Nearly 3% Higher Than Last Year

Source: US Navy
  • The U.S. sold $175 billion in weapons to foreign governments in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, Pentagon and State Department officials announced Friday.
  • Sales of U.S. military equipment to foreign governments in the prior fiscal year totaled $170 billion.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. sold $175 billion in weapons to foreign governments in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, Pentagon and State Department officials announced Friday.

The Department of State's Bureau of Political and Military Affairs said in a statement Friday that this year's 2.8% increase in sales coincides with the Trump administraton's efforts to "comprehensively reform and modernized the arms transfer process."

Sales of U.S. military equipment to foreign governments in the prior fiscal year totaled $170 billion.

In 2017, the Trump administration rolled out an executive order dubbed, "Buy American and Hire American," in which the president called on foreign governments to buy more American products, namely U.S.-built weapons systems.

Read more: Defense manufacturers cashing in on Trump’s global arms push

"The sales demonstrate the United States continues to be the global security partner of choice. Not only do we already offer the most advanced defense equipment in the world, we're also increasingly adapting to meet the technical needs of our allies and partner militaries," Heidi Grant, Defense Security Cooperation Agency Director, told reporters at the Pentagon.

According to the latest figures released by State and Defense officials, the sale of Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet to Japan amounted to $23.11 billion, leading America's weapons exports.

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