Publications

The objective of this report is to describe the function of IT security, to define by which means IT security in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products can be regulated and to highlight in which manner the regulation of IT security has a bearing on international trade and market access. The ambition of this report is also to discuss whether greater harmonisation of regulation in the field of IT security for ICT products is possible, as the current regulatory landscape is rather fragmented compared to many other product areas.

The purpose of this analysis is to identify what is most important for Sweden in a future EU-UK agreement, in order to mitigate the negative effects of Brexit. The key sectors proposed as Swedish priorities will need to be (1) particularly important for Sweden's trade with the UK and (2) sectors in which Brexit might lead to significant trade barriers.

The risks posed by Brexit seem to be relatively limited in some of the sectors where Sweden has very specific interests (mineral oils, paper, wood, iron and steel, protection of intellectual property and retail trade). However, that only means that the regulatory framework for bilateral trade in a 'no-deal' scenario, compared to the current situation, does not appear to create significant problems for those sectors as a whole. Still, individual companies may be adversely affected, especially if their products are price-sensitive. Even if trade in goods within these sectors will not be faced with high customs tariffs, Brexit will mean more administration and more requirements to be met, such as customs formalities. This will increase costs for business.

We conclude that focus should be on two sectors in particular: motor vehicles and business services. Motor vehicles is a sector with detailed technical rules and high tariffs. In this sector, a solution similar to those the EU already has with Switzerland, Japan and South Korea may be needed in order to avoid significant trade barriers.

This publication is a summary of the full report (only available in Swedish)

The issue of free trade negotiations has increasingly become the focus of the trade policy agenda. As such, it is increasingly important to base negotiating proposals and policy decisions on empirical data and objective facts.

This report – prepared in collaboration between the National Board of Trade Sweden and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – constitutes a first effort to analyse the use of tariff preferences in free trade agreements from both parties and from both an exporter and importer perspective. The observations and findings are based on the EU’s free trade agreements with a number of developed and developing countries.

Has Swedish exports of goods been held back due to trade barriers introduced since the financial crisis? According to this report, the answer is yes in relation to China but no in relation to the United States and Japan. Trade within the EU does not seem to have been affected much by trade barriers or trade distortions introduced globally since the financial crisis.

In this report, the National Board of Trade Sweden evaluates its TBT-related development cooperation activities for the last ten years. The evaluation maps out both pitfalls and success factors in developing effective and sustainable TBT capacity building. 

The main focus of this report is the links between trade and the social dimension of sustainable development. The report provides a comprehensive and holistic overview of relevant issues within trade and social sustainability, with a special focus on human rights, labour rights/working conditions and gender equality. The report also maps out trade related instrumentwith the potential to contribute to social sustainability, and it describes how the potential for trade to contribute to social sustainability is dependent on both national preconditions and complementary reforms.

The report was published in Swedish in November 2016: Handel och social hållbarhet - en kartläggning och analys

The Swedish Government has assigned the National Board of Trade to carry out an in-depth analysis of certain parts of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union and Canada. The analysis covers the provisions on investment protection including the ICS (Investment Court System), public procurement, environmental and health related issues, trade in services and the Regulatory Cooperation Forum.

The assignment is a follow-up to an earlier government assignment to the Board in July 2016 to analyse possible effects of CETA on the environment, human and animal health as well as democratic decision-making.

In this report, the National Board of Trade analyses how the new trade facilitation agreement affects WTO trade law in the sanitary and phytosanitary field.

In September 2016, the Swedish Government commissioned the National Board of Trade to analyse and provide alternatives for how trade in services between the EU and the UK can be regulated after a UK withdrawal from the EU and its single market. The assignment also includes analysing and providing alternatives for how customs and trade procedures for the trade in goods between the EU and the UK can be designed after a UK withdrawal from the EU.

This is a summary of the full analysis, Brexit – Alternativ till framtida regelverk för handel med tjänster och tull- och handelsprocedurer mellan EU och Storbritannien, by the National Board of Trade. The full analysis is  available only in Swedish.

This case story describes how Swedish authorities worked with a specific case in which a small company experienced difficulties in direct imports of cut flowers from Ethiopia to Sweden. It describes the dialogue between authorities and between authorities and actors from the private sector, and how a mapping exercise was used to facilitate the process for the company.

Trade in plant products means certain risks of introduction and spread of plant pests. Protective measures taken to minimise phytosanitary risks are therefore important. Phytosanitary inspections are conducted within a chain of border activities including customs declaration, handling of fees etc.The complexity of the chain poses challenges to both business operators and authorities.