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Foreign trade figures of Sweden

Foreign Trade in Figures

The Swedish economy is very open to foreign trade, which represents 103% of its GDP (World Bank – latest data available). According to the latest data by Statistics Sweden, the country mainly exports machinery and transport equipment (43.8%, mostly road vehicles and industrial machinery), chemicals and rubber products (15%), minerals (10.8%), and wood and paper products (8.9%); whereas imports are led by machinery and transport equipment (44.4%, especially electronics and telecommunication items, at 15.9%), chemicals and rubber products (12.8%), mineral fuels (11.2%), and food, beverage and tobacco (11.2%).

Norway and Germany were the top destinations for Swedish exports in 2022 (10.8% and 10.2%, respectively), ahead of the U.S. (9.2%), Denmark (7.5%) and Finland (7.3%). Germany remained the largest supplier of goods to Sweden (15.3%), followed by Norway (12.4%), the Netherlands (10.7%), Denmark (6.4%), and China (5.9%). The European Union as a whole is Sweden's biggest trading partner and the country has a structural deficit from its trade with the EU, which accounted for 54% of exports and 63.3% of imports (data Statistics Sweden).

Sweden has a structurally positive trade balance: in 2022, the country recorded a trade surplus accounting for nearly 2.9% of its GDP (from 4.7% one year earlier - World Bank). In the same year, exports of goods stood at USD 197.8 billion (marking a 4.3% increase year-on-year), against USD 202.1 billion in imports (+8% y-o-y). As for services, exports grew by 16% (at USD 94.6 billion) with imports increasing at a faster pace (+20.3%), totalling USD 98.1 billion. According to provisional data from Statistics Sweden, in the period January–October 2023, the value of Swedish exports of goods amounted to SEK 1,747 billion, an increase of 6% vis-à-vis 2022. At the same time, the value of imports of goods increased by 2% and amounted to SEK 1,712 billion. Therefore, net trade recorded a surplus of SEK 35 billion against a surplus of SEK 37.4 billion recorded in the same period one year earlier.

 
Foreign Trade Values 20192020202120222023
Imports of Goods (million USD) 158,971149,985187,108202,171193,016
Exports of Goods (million USD) 160,576155,496189,524197,867197,860
Imports of Services (million USD) 74,94668,45890,057104,881112,819
Exports of Services (million USD) 77,90968,87888,67794,404104,353

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Indicators 20182019202020212022
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 89.191.483.288.1102.7
Trade Balance (million USD) 11,15620,71021,66327,11420,429
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) 12,72723,58524,77531,03116,373
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 3.82.1-6.011.58.7
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 4.26.0-5.510.06.6
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 43.443.639.441.850.2
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 45.747.843.846.352.6

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 20232024 (e)2025 (e)2026 (e)2027 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) 3.11.42.73.62.8
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) 1.01.32.62.52.6

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

 
International Economic Cooperation
Sweden is a member of the following international economic organisations: IMF, European Union, ICC, G-9, G-10, OECD, Schengen Convention, WTO, among others. For the full list of economic and other international organisations in which participates Sweden click here. International organisation membership of Sweden is also outlined here.
Free Trade Agreements
The up-to-date list of Free Trade Agreements signed by Sweden can be consulted here.
 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2023
Germany 10.3%
Norway 9.2%
United States 8.6%
Denmark 7.0%
Finland 6.9%
See More Countries 58.0%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2023
Germany 16.7%
Netherlands 10.7%
Norway 10.3%
Denmark 6.4%
China 5.7%
See More Countries 50.2%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

197.8 bn USD of products exported in 2023
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 7.7%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 5.3%
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 3.7%
Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic...Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses; antisera and other blood fractions and immunological products, whether or not modified or obtained by means of biotechnological processes; vaccines, toxins, cultures of micro-organisms (excl. yeasts) and similar products 2.9%
Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles...Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vehicles of heading 8701 to 8705, n.e.s. 2.6%
See More Products 77.7%
193.0 bn USD of products imported in 2023
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 5.9%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude 5.8%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 3.9%
Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular...Telephone sets, incl. telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks; other apparatus for the transmission or reception of voice, images or other data, incl. apparatus for communication in a wired or wireless network [such as a local or wide area network]; parts thereof (excl. than transmission or reception apparatus of heading 8443, 8525, 8527 or 8528) 3.4%
Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles...Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vehicles of heading 8701 to 8705, n.e.s. 3.4%
See More Products 77.6%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.

 

Main Services

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: September 2024