Austria Will Ease Exports of Some Defense Goods to Catch Spending Wave

Austria’s government is looking to loosen decades-old limits on the export of weapons and dual-use goods to help manufacturers profit from a European defense boom.

The militarily-neutral nation plans to allow export financing of dual-use goods like chips used in weapons systems, Economy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer told reporters in Vienna on Friday. The government will also streamline an approval process for weapon sales abroad, including setting deadlines and obligations for state agencies, he said.