2023-03-292022/23:NU12 · p.1NUBusiness & energy
Overarching Matters on International Trade
Sweden's goals and direction for trade policy
What's at stake: The decision affects how much weight Sweden should give to environmental, climate, social and gender-equality concerns in its trade policy, which matters both for Swedish companies and for how the gains from globalisation are distributed, not least in developing countries.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether parliament should criticise the government's revised trade-policy goal and establish that Sweden should stand up for fair, sustainable and feminist world trade, or whether the government's current direction should remain unchanged.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motions. The full reasoning for this point is missing from the available material.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (S)
The Social Democrats consider the government's revised trade-policy goal to have been the wrong path, and want Sweden to continue standing up for fair world trade that contributes to Agenda 2030. The party argues that fair trade requires consideration of the environment, climate, social security, decent working conditions, health and animal welfare, as well as a feminist trade policy that produces equally positive effects for women and men, and that development considerations must be guiding so that poor countries too can benefit from the gains of globalisation.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by S.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: VVänsterpartiet
Ja 144–93Ja 123–114
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/14 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 15/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: high | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 59/0/0/9 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Abstain 0/0/64/9 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:945 by Tobias Andersson et al. (SD) provisions 2 and 6 as well as 2022/23:2064 by Fredrik Olovsson et al. (S) provisions 1, 10, 12, 23 and 29.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:945 av Tobias Andersson m.fl. (SD) yrkandena 2 och 6 samt 2022/23:2064 av Fredrik Olovsson m.fl. (S) yrkandena 1, 10, 12, 23 och 29.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to 85 proposals in motions submitted during the general motion session of 2022. The proposals concern international trade, the EU's internal market, trade and investment promotion and sustainable business. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to the policy pursued, ongoing work and various measures. The proposals concern, among other things, overarching questions about free trade and protectionism, that is, protection of domestic production by means of, for example, tariffs. The proposals also concern requirements in trade agreements, reform of the World Trade Organization, trade relations with certain countries, issues about free movement for certain goods, trade promotion, scrutiny of foreign direct investment and sustainable business.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants Sweden to pursue a trade policy with free, sustainable and fair international trade. (S) — Reservation 1
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The programme explicitly requires a fair trade policy that counteracts the unequal conditions in the world market and a foreign policy where human rights, sustainable development and women's liberation are guiding.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The programme explicitly requires a fair trade policy that counteracts the unequal conditions in the world market and a foreign policy where human rights, sustainable development and women's liberation are guiding. A trade policy goal aimed at fair world trade with consideration for environment, working conditions and equality is thus the plan's own line, and the party defines itself as feminist. Social and ecological considerations should come before capital interests.
Original (Swedish)
Programmet kräver uttryckligen en rättvis handelspolitik som motverkar de ojämlika förhållandena på världsmarknaden och en utrikespolitik där mänskliga rättigheter, hållbar utveckling och kvinnors frigörelse är vägledande. Ett handelspolitiskt mål inriktat på rättvis världshandel med hänsyn till miljö, arbetsvillkor och jämställdhet är därmed planens egen linje, och partiet definierar sig som feministiskt. Sociala och ekologiska hänsyn ska gå före kapitalintressen.
- fair trade policydecisive»En rättvis handelspolitik« (party programme ↗)“A fair trade policy”
- rights guide foreign policy»Sverige ska föra en självständig utrikespolitik där demokrati« (party programme ↗)“Sweden should pursue an independent foreign policy where democracy”
- sustainability before capital interests»ekologiska hänsyn ska gå före kapitalintressen.« (party programme ↗)“ecological considerations should come before capital interests.”
flags: citat_blockerat
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 plan stands up for open, free and fair trade and requires that values concerning social dialogue, human rights and environment are guiding in trade agreements, which corresponds to the counter-proposal's requirement for a goal of fair world trade and sustainability.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan stands up for open, free and fair trade and requires that values concerning social dialogue, human rights and environment are guiding in trade agreements, which corresponds to the counter-proposal's requirement for a goal of fair world trade and sustainability. The programme links trade agreements to agreements on working conditions and workers' rights, and the party defines itself as feminist, which supports the requirement for a feminist trade policy. The goal formulation as such is not addressed in the documents.
Original (Swedish)
Planen står upp för en öppen, fri och rättvis handel och kräver att värderingar om social dialog, mänskliga rättigheter och miljö är vägledande i handelsavtalen, vilket motsvarar motförslagets krav på ett mål om rättvis världshandel och hållbarhet. Programmet knyter handelsavtalen till avtal om arbetsmiljö och löntagares rättigheter, och partiet definierar sig som feministiskt, vilket bär kravet på en feministisk handelspolitik. Målformuleringen som sådan behandlas inte i dokumenten.
- rättvis handeldecisive»Vi står upp för en öppen, fri och rättvis handel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We stand up for open, free and fair trade.”
- värderingsstyrd handelspolitik»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 of social dialogue, human rights and environment are also guiding.”
- feministisk grundsyn»Med denna grundsyn är socialdemokratin ett feministiskt parti.« (party programme ↗)“With this fundamental view, social democracy is a feminist party.”
- rättvisa spelregler»men den förutsätter rättvisa spelregler i det internationella handelssystemet.« (party programme ↗)“but it presupposes fair rules in the international trading system.”
The party programme wants Sweden to work for free trade on fair terms and for strict environmental requirements and social standards to be introduced in trade policy, and for international trade agreements to include the animal welfare issue.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme wants Sweden to work for free trade on fair terms and for strict environmental requirements and social standards to be introduced in trade policy, and for international trade agreements to include the animal welfare issue. The election manifesto wants to develop and strengthen feminist foreign and development policy. Trade policy aimed at fair world trade, sustainability goals and gender equality is thus the plan's line.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet vill att Sverige verkar för frihandel på rättvisa villkor och att hårda miljökrav och sociala krav införs i handelspolitiken, samt att internationella handelsavtal inkluderar djurskyddsfrågan. Valmanifestet vill utveckla och förstärka den feministiska utrikes- och utvecklingspolitiken. En handelspolitik inriktad på rättvis världshandel, hållbarhetsmål och jämställdhet är därmed planens linje.
- free trade on fair termsdecisive»omvärlden och verka för frihandel på rättvisa« (party programme ↗)“the outside world and work for free trade on fair”
- environmental and social requirements in trade»införa hårda miljökrav och sociala krav i handelspolitiken som kan bidra till förbättringar långt« (party programme ↗)“introduce strict environmental requirements and social requirements in trade policy that can contribute to improvements far”
- feminist foreign policy»utveckla och förstärka Sveriges feministiska utrikes- och utvecklingspolitik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“develop and strengthen Sweden's feminist foreign and development policy.”
- animal welfare in trade agreements»handelsavtal ska inkludera djurskyddsfrågan för att« (party programme ↗)“trade agreements shall include the animal welfare issue in order to”
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 wants to explicitly place stronger requirements on working conditions, environment and climate in trade agreements, and the party programme requires that ethical and environmental perspectives be considered in free trade.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to explicitly place stronger requirements on working conditions, environment and climate in trade agreements, and the party programme requires that ethical and environmental perspectives be considered in free trade. That trade policy should contribute to sustainability and that poor countries too should benefit from trade thus follows from the plan, as does the feminist perspective that is a stated basic position. The plan's basis is continued free trade, but with such conditions.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill uttryckligen ställa hårdare krav på arbetsvillkor, miljö och klimat i handelsavtal, och partiprogrammet kräver att etiska och miljömässiga perspektiv beaktas i den fria handeln. Att handelspolitiken ska bidra till hållbarhet och att även fattiga länder ska dra nytta av handeln följer därmed av planen, liksom det feministiska perspektivet som är en uttalad grundhållning. Planens bas är fortsatt öppenhet och frihandel, inte protektionism.
- sustainability requirements in tradedecisive»Ställ hårdare krav på arbetsvillkor, miljö och klimat i handelsavtal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Place stronger requirements on working conditions, environment and climate in trade agreements.”
- ethical considerations in trade»Hänsyn måste tas till etiska och miljömässiga perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Ethical and environmental perspectives must be considered.”
- feminist basic position»Centerpartiet är ett feministiskt parti« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party is a feminist party”
- free trade as basis»Sverige klarar sig inte utan frihandel. Öppna upp fler marknader för svenska varor och tjänster.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden cannot manage without free trade. Open up more markets for Swedish goods and services.”
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 affirms that climate aspects shall be integrated in the EU's trade policy, that foreign policy shall be values-driven and that liberal feminism concerns women's and men's equal right to freedom, responsibility and power.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan affirms that climate aspects shall be integrated in the EU's trade policy, that foreign policy shall be values-driven and that liberal feminism concerns women's and men's equal right to freedom, responsibility and power. A trade policy with goals for sustainability, decent working conditions and equal effects lies in line with this. The plan's fundamental stance is at the same time strong free trade, wherefore the support concerns the direction and not every individual demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att klimataspekterna ska integreras i EU:s handelspolitik, att utrikespolitiken ska vara värderingsstyrd och att liberal feminism handlar om kvinnors och mäns lika rätt till frihet, ansvar och makt. En handelspolitik med mål om hållbarhet, anständiga arbetsvillkor och jämställda effekter ligger i linje med detta. Planens grundhållning är samtidigt stark frihandel, varför stödet gäller inriktningen och inte varje enskilt krav.
- climate in trade policydecisive»Klimataspekterna ska integreras i EU:s handelspolitik.« (party programme ↗)“Climate aspects shall be integrated in the EU's trade policy.”
- values-driven trade policy»Vi kallar det för vad det är: en ny värderingsstyrd utrikespolitik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We call it what it is: a new values-driven foreign policy.”
- liberal feminism»Liberal feminism handlar om kvinnors och mäns lika rätt till frihet, ansvar och makt.« (party programme ↗)“Liberal feminism concerns women's and men's equal right to freedom, responsibility and power.”
- free trade as foundation»Sverige ska vara en stark röst för frihandel« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be a strong voice for free trade”
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 establishes that freer world trade with fairer rules is the prerequisite for global gaps to decrease and that trade policy must be combined with international solidarity, with gender equality as both goal and means.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that freer world trade with fairer rules is the prerequisite for global gaps to decrease and that trade policy must be combined with international solidarity, with gender equality as both goal and means. Agricultural trade shall further guarantee biological diversity and good animal husbandry. A trade policy aimed at fair trade taking account of environment, working conditions and animal welfare follows from this.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att en friare världshandel med rättvisare spelregler är förutsättningen för att de globala klyftorna ska minska och att handelspolitiken måste förenas med internationell solidaritet, med jämställdhet som både mål och medel. Jordbrukshandeln ska dessutom garantera biologisk mångfald och god djurhållning. En handelspolitik inriktad på rättvis handel med hänsyn till miljö, arbetsvillkor och djurvälfärd följer av detta.
- fairer rules in tradedecisive»En friare världshandel med rättvisare spelregler« (party programme ↗)“Freer world trade with fairer rules”
- trade compatible with solidarity»Handels- och jordbrukspolitiken måste göras« (party programme ↗)“Trade and agricultural policy must be”
- animal husbandry and diversity in trade»för biologisk mångfald, god djurhållning och livsmedel« (party programme ↗)“for biological diversity, good animal husbandry and food”
- gender equality as goal and means»Att främja jämställdhet mellan kvinnor och män samt att förbättra kvinnors villkor« (party programme ↗)“To promote gender equality between women and men and to improve women's conditions”
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's trade line is growth and deepened free trade – the party even wants to hold an EU summit on growth – and it establishes that development above all is built on market economy and trade.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's trade line is growth and deepened free trade – the party even wants to hold an EU summit on growth – and it establishes that development above all is built on market economy and trade. To make trade policy's goal fair trade with broad sustainability and equality conditions replaces that direction, and the plan moreover asserts the individual against collective identity perspectives. The plan therefore argues against the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planens handelslinje är tillväxt och fördjupad frihandel - partiet vill till och med hålla ett EU-toppmöte om tillväxt - och den slår fast att utveckling framför allt bygger på marknadsekonomi och handel. Att göra handelspolitikens mål till rättvis handel med breda hållbarhets- och jämställdhetsvillkor byter ut den inriktningen, och planen hävdar dessutom individen mot kollektiva identitetsperspektiv. Planen talar därför mot kravet.
- growth at centredecisive»Arrangera ett EU-toppmöte om tillväxt under det svenska EU-ordförandeskapet i syfte att sätta i gång ett arbete med att få på plats en ny tillväxtstrategi för EU« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Arrange an EU summit on growth during the Swedish EU presidency with the aim of launching work to establish a new growth strategy for the EU”
- trade drives development»verklig utveckling är möjlig och att den bygger mer än något« (party programme ↗)“real development is possible and that it is built more than anything”
- free trade line»Fördjupa den inre marknaden, inte minst för tjänster och digitala produkter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Deepen the internal market, not least for services and digital products”
- the individual over collective perspectives»kommer alltid hävda individen mot kollektivismen« (party programme ↗)“will always assert the individual against collectivism”
The plan wants trade policy to improve Sweden's position on the international market and foreign policy to a greater degree to defend Swedes' interests.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants trade policy to improve Sweden's position on the international market and foreign policy to a greater degree to defend Swedes' interests. To instead make global sustainability targets and feminist trade policy the goal shifts focus away from Swedish interests, and the plan explicitly rejects politics that seek the same outcome between the sexes at group level. The demand is therefore rejected.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill att handelspolitiken förbättrar Sveriges ställning på den internationella marknaden och att utrikespolitiken i högre grad värnar svenskarnas intressen. Att i stället göra globala hållbarhetsmål och en feministisk handelspolitik till målet flyttar fokus från svenska intressen, och planen avvisar uttryckligen politik som söker samma utfall mellan könen på gruppnivå. Kravet avvisas därför.
- trade for Swedish interestsdecisive»Förbättra Sveriges ställning på den internationella marknaden och i handel« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Improve Sweden's position on the international market and in trade”
- Swedish interests first»Sverigedemokraterna vill att inriktningen av utrikespolitiken i högre utsträckning än idag ska värna svenskarnas intressen på det globala planet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want the direction of foreign policy to to a greater extent than today defend Swedes' interests on the global stage.”
- no to outcome-driven equality»Riktig jämställdhet nås inte genom att vidta politiska åtgärder för att på gruppnivå skapa samma utfall mellan män och kvinnor, utan genom att ta krafttag mot samhällsfenomen som begränsar den enskilde.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“True equality is not achieved by taking political measures to create the same outcome between men and women at group level, but by taking vigorous action against social phenomena that limit the individual.”
- Sweden first»Det är hög tid för en politik som sätter Sverige främst.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is high time for a politics that puts Sweden first.”
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.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:NU12)
- Committee report full text (HA01NU12)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1014 — Ett konkurrenskraftigt svenskt väginfrastruktursystem av Thomas Morell m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1061 — Upphävande av förbudet mot handel med sälprodukter av Sanne Lennström och Gustaf Lantz (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1090 — Handel med sälprodukter av Alexandra Anstrell (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1121 — Fler företag, fler jobb och stärkt konkurrenskraft i hela landet av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1206 — Export av snus i Europeiska unionen av Jesper Skalberg Karlsson (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1269 — Utökade handelsförbindelser och utbyte med Taiwan av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1497 — Skyddsjakt på säl och skarv av Lili André (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1673 — Jämställdhet för hållbar utveckling av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1758 — Afrikas horn av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1802 — Ökat handelsutbyte med Kosovo av Magnus Jacobsson (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1879 — En fokuserad utvecklingsagenda bortom 2030 av Kerstin Lundgren m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1882 — En starkare liberal demokrati av Malin Björk m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1952 — Strategi för ökad produktion och export av svensk mat av Sten Bergheden (M)
- Motion 2022/23:2064 — Handel och exportfrämjande av Fredrik Olovsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2144 — Satsningar på Stockholms skärgård av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:2170 — För en stark grön näringslivsutveckling av Elin Söderberg m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:2190 — Ledarskap för klimat och grön omställning av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:2261 — En grön feministisk utvecklings- och biståndspolitik av Janine Alm Ericson m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:547 — Utreda omfattningen av produkter som framkommit genom slavarbete av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2022/23:849 — Internationellt samarbete i en ny tid av Kerstin Lundgren m.fl. (C)
Source: The Swedish Parliament