Trade and investment promotion

Research and innovation are crucial to Sweden’s competitiveness and to rebooting the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. In the autumn budget, the Government is therefore proposing increased funding to Vinnova, RISE and Business Sweden for measures that help reboot Sweden. The proposal is based on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

At the government meeting on 4 June, the Government decided to refer a proposal to the Council on Legislation with the aim of strengthening efforts against foreign direct investments that threaten Swedish security and public order. At the same time, the Inspectorate of Strategic Products (ISP) and the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI) have been given assignments to further develop these efforts.

Opinion piece by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson and Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs Anna Hallberg. Published in Svenska Dagbladet on 20 April 2020.

Due to the COVID-19 virus, the Government, together with the Centre Party and the Liberal Party, on March 20 presented further measures that will make it easier for Swedish businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, to access financing at this difficult time. Resources and capital are being injected into Almi Företagspartner AB in order to increase lending to small and medium-sized enterprises throughout the country, thus facilitating their access to financing.

The Prime Minister’s visit to South Africa on 8–10 March has been postponed because he needs to remain in Sweden to effectively and closely lead the Government’s work concerning COVID-19. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will visit South Africa on 8–10 March. Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs Anna Hallberg and a Swedish business delegation will also take part in the visit.

Today, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde is presenting the Government’s Statement of Foreign Policy to the Riksdag. The Statement, which summarises the Government’s foreign policy priorities for 2020, includes a new announcement on strengthened efforts to combat organised crime. Also notable in the Statement is a stronger focus on security in Europe ahead of Sweden assuming the role of Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in 2021.

On 12 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde presented the 2020 Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. Check against delivery.

The UK left the EU on 1 February. What happens now and what does the transition period that begins entail? What form will future relations between the EU and the UK take? Minister for EU Affairs Hans Dahlgren and Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs Anna Hallberg discuss some of the details in an interview.

Sweden has the first feminist government in the world. This means that gender equality is central to the Government’s priorities – in decision-making and resource allocation. Women and men must have the same power to shape society and their own lives; this is a human right and a matter of democracy and justice. There is also overwhelming evidence that gender equality boosts economic growth. Despite this, trade policy today benefits men more than women. With this in mind, the Swedish government’s feminist trade policy includes six focus areas where we will step up efforts to ensure that trade policy and trade promotion activities benefit women and men equally. We must begin to see gender as a market access issue and give priority in trade negotiations to sectors, products and services that have positive implications for women. We will also take a range of measures and initiatives to improve the gender balance in Sweden’s promotion activities.

More people than ever before are now employed in exporting companies in Sweden. Exports drive the Swedish economy and keep around 1.5 million people in employment. To continue to strengthen Swedish exports, on Friday 13 December the Government launched an updated Trade and Investment Strategy to create jobs and growth throughout the country.

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will visit the Republic of Korea (South Korea) on 18–20 December. Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs Anna Hallberg and a large Swedish business delegation will also take part in the visit.

Strengthened engagement for democracy was announced in the 2019 Statement of Foreign Policy and in the Swedish Foreign Service’s strategic vision for the electoral period. Sweden will stand up for democratic principles and support democracy in all contexts. On 21 November 2019, the Drive for Democracy was presented to the Riksdag Committee on Foreign Affairs by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde and Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson.

Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation Ibrahim Baylan is travelling to Paris to meet with his French counterparts. The purpose of the visit is to take a further step under the Swedish-French partnership for innovation in the area of sustainable digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI). The promotion of French investments in Sweden and discussions on the EU’s industrial policy will also be in focus during the visit.

Sweden took over the two-year chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council at the ministerial meeting in Arkhangelsk on 19 October 2017. Since its inception, the Barents cooperation has aimed to promote peace, stability and the development of the Barents region, through cross-border collaboration and people-to-people contacts. The Swedish chairmanship programme, with the title ‘Regional sustainable development for the future’, was formed with a view to advancing cooperation and deepening collaboration in key areas of common interest.

On 15 August at Fashion Week Trade, Minister for Foreign Trade Ann Linde will be taking part in a round-table discussion on feminist trade policy and its relevance for the fashion industry. With more than 700 footwear, clothing, underwear, accessories and childrenswear collections, Fashion Week Trade is Sweden’s largest fashion event, including for fashion buyers.

Opinion piece by Ann Linde, Minister for Foreign Trade, published in Svenska Dagbladet on 25 July 2019.

The OECD Working Group on Bribery has since 2012 repeatedly urged Sweden to reform its laws to ensure the investigation and prosecution of companies that bribe foreign public officials to obtain advantages in international business. Sweden’s legal provisions to hold companies liable for foreign bribery do not fully meet the requirements of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.

On Wednesday 12 June, Minister for Justice and Migration Morgan Johansson will hold a press briefing with Drago Kos, Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery.

Making the entire Nordic region the first integrated 5G zone and getting Swedish companies to export more. Listen to Minister for Foreign Trade with responsibility for Nordic affairs Ann Linde talk about some of her priorities during this electoral period.

Swedish trade with the rest of the world is constantly increasing. Today, three quarters of Sweden’s goods exports go to Europe. We export most to Germany, followed by Norway, Finland, Denmark, the United States and the Netherlands. We want to help Swedish businesses find new trading partners, businesses and markets to increase their global sales. At the same time, we also want to help foreign businesses and individuals who want to do business with Sweden find the right entry points.