In keeping with Australia's national interests and international obligations, Defence facilitates the responsible export of military and dual-use goods and technologies from Australia.
Defence Export Controls’ quarterly permit statistics provide the number and type of export applications received and finalised, application processing timeframes, the estimated total value of permits issued, and the breakdown of permits issued to end-users by continent.
The statistics do not equate to actual exports as there is no obligation to conduct or report on an activity under a permit.
Export Application Statistics
- Export Applications
- Export Application Processing
- Export Application Approvals and Assessments
- Export Application Prohibitions and Denials
- Export Applications Withdrawn, Made Inactive, Lapsed and No Further Action Required
Certificate Statistics
- Certificates Issued
- Australian General Export Licences (AUSGEL) Statistics
- Certificates and AUSGEL Processing Times
- Broker Registrations Issued
- Estimated Value of Approved Defence Permits
For statistics from previous financial years
Permits are required for the export of military and dual-use goods and technologies which are defined by the Defence and Strategic Goods List.
Military goods include weapons, munitions and armour but also include items such as explosives, radios, simulators and training equipment that are used in civilian industries such as mining and manufacturing.
Dual-use items and technologies are generally used for civilian purposes but could also be used or adapted for use in a military program or contribute to the development and production of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons systems. Dual-use items can include chemicals for mineral processing, sensors and lasers for university research and development programs, or software and computer equipment.
All applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with our legislation based export control provisions. This includes consideration of human rights, national security, regional security, foreign policy, and international obligations.
Details on arms transfers within scope of the Arms Trade Treaty are available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) website.
Export Applications
|
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Total |
Applications received |
959 |
|
|
959 |
|
Applications finalised |
939 |
|
|
939 |
Export Application Processing
|
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Average |
% of export applications that were Non-Sensitive/Non-Complex |
84% |
|
|
84% | |
% of export applications that were Sensitive/Complex |
16% |
|
|
16% |
|
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Average |
% of Non-Sensitive applications assessed within 15 days |
78% |
|
78% | ||
% of Sensitive/Complex applications assessed within 35 days |
70% |
|
70% |
Export Application Approvals and Assessments
|
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Total |
Permits (Customs Act) Issued |
549 |
|
549 | ||
Permits (Defence Trade Controls Act) Issued |
110 |
|
110 | ||
In-Principle Applications Supported |
19 |
|
19 | ||
Export Control Assessments Issued |
162 |
|
162 | ||
Advice to Government Agencies Issued |
43 |
|
43 |
Export Application Prohibitions and Denials
- Information on prohibitions under the WMD Act is available from the Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act 1995 page.
- Information on prohibitions under the MEU Provisions is available from the Military End-Use provisions (section 112BA) of the Customs Act 1901 page.
Export Application Prohibitions and Denials |
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Total |
Denials (Customs Act) |
4 |
|
4 | ||
In-Principle Applications Not Supported2 |
4 | 4 | |||
Prohibition Notices (Defence Trade Controls Act) |
|
|
|
||
Denials (Defence Trade Controls Act)3 | |||||
Prohibition Notices (Weapons of Mass Destruction Act) |
|
|
|
||
Prohibitions Notices (Military End-Use) |
|
|
|
||
Prohibition Notices (Publications) |
|
|
|
Export Applications Withdrawn, Made Inactive, Lapsed and No Further Action Required
Export Withdrawals or Lapsed |
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Total |
Withdrawn, Made Inactive, or Lapsed |
48 |
|
48 | ||
No Further Action Required |
0 |
|
0 |
Information on certificates is available from the Apply for supporting import and end-use certificates page.
Certificates Issued
|
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Total |
International Import Certificates issued |
50 |
|
50 | ||
Delivery Verification Certificates issued |
46 |
|
46 | ||
Non-Transfer and End-Use Certificates issued |
15 |
|
15 | ||
Foreign End Use Certificates signed |
59 |
|
59 |
Australian General Export Licences
|
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Total |
AUSGEL - Approved |
8 |
|
8 | ||
AUSGEL - Withdrawn |
0 |
|
0 |
Certificates and Australian General Export Licences (AUSGEL) Processing
|
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Average % |
Certificates |
100% |
|
100% | ||
Australian General Export Licenses (AUSGEL) |
75% |
|
75% |
Broker Registration
|
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Total |
Broker Registration - Received |
1 |
|
1 | ||
Broker Registration - Completed |
1 |
|
1 | ||
Broker Registrations - Withdrawn |
0 |
|
0 |
Estimated value of Approved Defence Export Permits
Caveat on statistics in this section: The estimated value includes permits for permanent, temporary and repair and return exports. From 1 January 2018 onwards, applicants have been required to include their estimation of the total value of their export over the life of the permit. Some permits, for example a permit for the repair and return of Australian equipment, extend over five years. Year-to-year comparisons of export values could therefore be misleading.
|
|
% of Defence Permits with a Declared Value | Estimated Value on Approved Defence Permits |
FY2021-22 |
Total |
93% | $1,776,822,137 |
|
1 |
93% |
$1,776,822,137 |
2 | |||
3 | |||
4 | |||
FY2020-21 | Total | 93% | $2,724,973,202 |
FY2019-20 | Total | 97% | $5,358,393,542 |
Export Permits Issued to End Users by Region
|
FY19-20 |
FY20-21 |
FY21-22 1st Quarter |
FY21-22 |
FY21-22 |
FY21-22 |
FY21-22 |
Africa |
4% |
4% |
4% |
|
4% |
||
Antarctica | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |||
Asia |
17% |
16% |
21% |
|
21% |
||
Australia* |
17% |
13% |
14% |
|
14% |
||
Europe |
20% |
21% |
19% |
|
19% |
||
North America |
24% |
28% |
23% |
|
23% |
||
Oceania |
16% |
17% |
15% |
|
15% |
||
Other |
0% |
0% |
0% |
|
0% |
||
South America |
2% |
1% |
3% |
|
3% |
* Export Permits issued to Australian end users relate to temporary exports. Temporary exports include but not limited to: demonstration or repair and return.