Goals for Foreign Trade, export and investment promotion

The party programme requires that Sweden works for fair trade terms and is critical of trade agreements that restrict room for democratic decisions. A trade policy goal of free, sustainable and fair trade directly answers that commitment, as does the demand that all countries be able to control their production and natural resources. The plan also requires that global inequality be significantly reduced.

• fair trade termsdecisive»solidariskt bistånd och rättvisa handelsvillkor.« (party programme ↗)“fair trade terms and solidarity development assistance.”
• criticism of trade agreements»mot handelsavtal som inskränker utrymmet för« (party programme ↗)“against trade agreements that restrict room for”
• reduced global inequality»I en rättvis värld måste den globala ojämlikheten kraftigt minskas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In a just world global inequality must be significantly reduced.”
• national self-determination»regioner ska ges möjlighet att kontrollera sin produktion, sina finansiella flöden och sina naturresurser.« (party programme ↗)“regions shall be given the opportunity to control their production, their financial flows and their natural resources.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The election manifesto formulates the line as open, free and fair trade, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants to write into the goal. The manifesto also requires trade agreements where social dialogue, human rights and the environment are guiding, and the party programme conditions free trade with fair rules. The plan thus supports formulating the goal as free, sustainable and fair trade.

• free and fair tradedecisive»Vi står upp för en öppen, fri och rättvis handel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We stand up for open, free and fair trade.”
• values-based trade agreements»EU behöver sluta fler handelsavtal där också våra värderingar om social dialog, mänskliga rättigheter och miljö är vägledande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The EU needs to conclude more trade agreements where our values on social dialogue, human rights and the environment are guiding.”
• fair rules in trade»men den förutsätter rättvisa spelregler i det internationella handelssystemet.« (party programme ↗)“but it presupposes fair rules in the international trade system.”
• strengthened WTO cooperation»Det globala samarbetet inom WTO ska stärkas, liksom samarbetet med likasinnade länder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Global cooperation within the WTO shall be strengthened, as shall cooperation with like-minded countries.”

The plan formulates trade policy goals in almost the same words as the counter-proposal: the economy should be open to the world and Sweden should work for free trade on fair terms. The party programme specifies what fair trade means, namely requirements on environment, human rights and working conditions in manufacturing countries. Adding sustainability and fairness to the goal therefore follows directly from the plan.

• free trade on fair termsdecisive»Sverige ska ha en ekonomi som är öppen mot omvärlden och verka för frihandel på rättvisa villkor.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden should have an economy that is open to the world and work for free trade on fair terms.”
• requirements for imported goods»Sverige ska ställa krav på att importerade varor är tillverkade med hänsyn till miljö, mänskliga rättigheter och arbetsförhållanden för anställda i tillverkningsländerna.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden should require that imported goods are manufactured with regard to environment, human rights and working conditions for employees in manufacturing countries.”
• environmental requirements in trade policy»Vi vill införa hårda miljökrav och sociala krav i handelspolitiken som kan bidra till förbättringar långt utanför EU:s gränser.« (party programme ↗)“We want to introduce tough environmental requirements and social requirements in trade policy that can contribute to improvements far outside the EU's borders.”
• climate conditions in trade»höja priset på utsläppsrätter i EU, inkludera utsläpp från flyg och sjöfart i systemet och införa klimattullar på varor från länder utanför EU.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“raise the price of emissions allowances in the EU, include emissions from aviation and shipping in the system and introduce climate tariffs on goods from countries outside the EU.”

The election manifesto combines free trade with the requirement to set stricter requirements on working conditions, environment and climate in trade agreements, and the party programme establishes that consideration must be given to ethical and environmental perspectives. The counter-proposal's goal of free, sustainable and fair trade is defined as exactly a responsible approach to environment, working conditions and social security within continued open trade. The plan therefore supports that meaning.

• stricter requirements in trade agreementsdecisive»Sverige klarar sig inte utan frihandel. Öppna upp fler marknader för svenska varor och tjänster. Ställ hårdare krav på arbetsvillkor, miljö och klimat i handelsavtal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden does not manage without free trade. Open more markets for Swedish goods and services. Set stricter requirements on working conditions, environment and climate in trade agreements.”
• ethical and environmental considerations»Hänsyn måste tas till etiska och miljömässiga perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Consideration must be given to ethical and environmental perspectives.”
• trade policy for climate»Vi ska använda handelspolitiken för att kapa fossila subventioner runtom i världen och pressa stora utsläppare som Kina att stänga ner sina kolkraftverk.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall use trade policy to eliminate fossil subsidies around the world and pressure major emitters like China to shut down their coal power plants.”
• free trade not protectionism»Sverige behöver mer frihandel och internationellt samarbete, inte protektionism och stängda gränser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs more free trade and international cooperation, not protectionism and closed borders.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme establishes that Sweden shall be a strong voice for free trade, primarily through global agreements, and that the EU shall completely abolish tariffs and other trade barriers against the world. Replacing rules-based trade with fair trade as a formulation opens for conditioning demands that lie alongside that line. The plan instead wants to strengthen the EU as a free trade union and conclude more free trade agreements, which argues against the counter-proposal's reformulation.

• strong voice for free tradedecisive»Sverige ska vara en stark röst för frihandel« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be a strong voice for free trade”
• abolished trade barriers»EU ska helt avskaffa tullar och andra handelshinder mot omvärlden.« (party programme ↗)“The EU shall completely abolish tariffs and other trade barriers against the world.”
• more free trade agreements»Vi ska stärka EU som frihandelsunion med en fördjupad inre marknad, värna den fria rörligheten i Europa och verka för fler frihandelsavtal med omvärlden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall strengthen the EU as a free trade union with a deepened internal market, protect free movement in Europe and work for more free trade agreements with the world.”
• free trade's advantages»Handels- och främjandepolitiken ska stärka Sverige som aktör för en friare värld och dra nytta av frihandelns fördelar utan den naivitet som alltför länge uppvisats för kinesisk och rysk maktpolitik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Trade and promotion policy shall strengthen Sweden as an actor for a freer world and benefit from free trade's advantages without the naivety that has been shown too long towards Chinese and Russian power politics.”

The plan establishes that freer world trade with fairer rules is a prerequisite for reducing gaps and that trade policy must be compatible with international solidarity. It also assigns the EU responsibility to contribute to fair global rules and calls for trade liberalisations for poor countries' products. A goal of free, sustainable and fair trade is thus in line with the plan.

• freer trade with fairer rulesdecisive»En friare världshandel med rättvisare spelregler är en förutsättning för att klyftorna ska kunna minska.« (party programme ↗)“Freer world trade with fairer rules is a prerequisite for gaps to be able to decrease.”
• trade compatible with solidarity»förenliga med internationell solidaritet.« (party programme ↗)“compatible with international solidarity.”
• fair global rules»EU har ett ansvar att bidra till rättvisa globala spel« (party programme ↗)“The EU has a responsibility to contribute to fair global rules”
• trade liberalisation for poor countries»Det behövs handelsliberaliseringar för de produkter« (party programme ↗)“There is a need for trade liberalisations for the products”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan bases trade policy on free trade and a deepened internal market, with market economy as the foundation for Sweden's prosperity, and explicitly wants to prevent EU rules from being over-implemented in Sweden. To put in a requirement for fair trade with conditions on social security, working conditions and animal welfare in the goal itself means precisely the kind of burdens on trade the plan wants to avoid. The documents do not address trade policy's goal formulation, so the conclusion is derived.

• free trade deepeneddecisive»Fördjupa den inre marknaden, inte minst för tjänster och digitala produkter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Deepen the internal market, not least for services and digital products”
• market economy as foundation»Grunden för Sveriges välstånd är en marknadsekonomi baserad« (party programme ↗)“The foundation for Sweden's prosperity is a market economy based”
• no extra burdens»Minska regelkrånglet och onödig byråkrati, bland annat genom att motverka överimplementering i Sverige av EU-beslut – som huvudregel ska EU-direktiv genomföras på miniminivå« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy, among other things by preventing over-implementation in Sweden of EU decisions—as a main rule EU directives shall be implemented at minimum level”
• business community's competitiveness»Sveriges välstånd bygger på ett dynamiskt och livskraftigt näringsliv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's prosperity is built on a dynamic and vigorous business community.”

flags: citat_migrerat

The plan's trade policy commitment is to protect Swedish interests in free trade agreements and to strengthen Sweden's position on the international market, not to include global justice and sustainability requirements in the goal. The plan explicitly warns that stricter environmental and emissions requirements than the world around us risks eliminating Swedish industries and becoming globally counterproductive. The requirement for animal protection in imports does, however, have support in the plan, which partially aligns with the counter-proposal.

• Swedish interests in trade agreementsdecisive»Värna svenska intressen i frihandelsavtal« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect Swedish interests in free trade agreements”
• no special requirements that eliminate industries»Strängare miljö- och utsläppskrav i Sverige jämfört med i omvärlden riskerar ofta att slå ut svenska näringar och få globalt kontraproduktiva resultat när det kommer till de mål kraven syftar till att uppnå.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stricter environmental and emissions requirements in Sweden compared to the world around us risks often eliminating Swedish industries and having globally counterproductive results when it comes to the goals the requirements aim to achieve.”
• strengthened Swedish trade position»Förbättra Sveriges ställning på den internationella marknaden och i handel« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Improve Sweden's position on the international market and in trade”
• animal welfare requirements on imports»Arbeta för ett förbud mot import av produkter från djur som har tvångsmatats eller slaktats utan bedövning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for a ban on import of products from animals that have been force-fed or slaughtered without anesthesia”