Arms embargo are a means to control the arms trade and prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands, contributing to international conflict or global insecurity. As such, they are subject to particularly strict regulations. But despite this, it is still possible to circumvent them, especially by using front companies and third countries. To protect your business, you should check sanctions lists on a regular basis – such as the BAFA list with country-specific embargoes or the EU Sanctions Map. You can also use our BEX add-on: SANSCREEN, which is easily integrated into your existing ERP system and compares your suppliers with the latest sanctions lists in real time.
Nevertheless, the risk of illicit arms transfers is high. This is partly due to the long lifespan of conventional weapons, which can easily be diverted into illicit markets – especially for SALW (small arms and light weapons), which are easier to transport, conceal and operate. In addition, a variety of supply routes, including air trafficking, offer opportunities for circumvention. In regions that are sparsely populated, prone to banditry and governed by competing authorities, or lacking adequate infrastructure for sea delivery, air cargo is often the only viable option. This makes it difficult to track shipments or intercept aircraft en route.
Furthermore, multilateral arms embargos are vulnerable to collective action problems – social dilemmas in which individual actors are motivated to defect from joint action. Considering that the highest-ranking exporters of weapons to anti-democratic regimes, human rights abusers and known embargo violators are often European and American states, this poses a significant risk.