The National Board of Trade is the Swedish governmental agency dealing with foreign trade and trade policy. The Board provides the Government with analyses and recommendations. You find more information about The National Board of Trade on this web site.
Latest News
Business Reality and Trade Policy – Closing the Gap
The trend towards global value chains in international trade has created a growing gap between business reality and trade policy. While the nature of trade has changed, trade regulation in the EU and other OECD economies has remained largely the same. So far this aspect of the debate has not received the attention it deserves. As a result, the implications for trade policy have not been thoroughly discussed.
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Chinese export restrictions on raw materials in breach with WTO rules
The Appellate Body of the WTO announced that China's export measures on various raw materials are in breach with WTO rules. Industries affected by the outcome include the chemical, steel and non-ferrous metal industries.
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The EU's protective tariffs prevent normal competition
The National Board of Trade observes in a new investigation that price dumping is evaluated differently depending on whether the product is manufactured in the EU or imported from third countries. What is considered to be price dumping when imported is considered normal competition for a product manufactured in the EU. This fact affects countries' abilities to compete on equal terms in the European market.
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Recent Studies
The Internal Market in a Global Context - Externalising the four freedoms
The paper explores the relationship between the EU internal market and external trade policies. Improved policy coherence between internal and external policies, providing for increased economic exchange with third countries, can contribute to more favourable conditions for EU businesses and in the long run to a more competitive European economy. The paper was prepared for and presented at a seminar organised by the European Commission on January 2012.
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Dumping or Competition?
The paper identifies that “dumping” according to the WTO definition is taking place within the EU, and that this intra-EU “dumping” is considered as a case of normal competition, as no remedies are taken. It is claimed that the EU anti-dumping regulation must be revised with regard to several aspects if the objective is to establish efficient competition. In the absence of a reformed anti-dumping regulation, the anti-dumping measures will only contribute to unfair competition where the EU industry will be protected to the detriment of the European consumers.
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You find the full version of the paper in the report Paving the Way for Unfair Competition: The Imposition of Anti-Dumping Duties on Ceramic Tiles from China.
Anti-dumping or Unjustified Protection?
The paper analyzes the imposition of EU anti-dumping duties on imports of ceramic tiles from China from a critical perspective. It is claimed that the antidumping measures on ceramic tiles from China are inappropriate. It is not an obvious case of dumping, it is not an obvious case of injury, and the injury that is claimed is most likely not caused by the alleged “dumping”. Accordingly, it is difficult to identify causality. In addition, it is difficult to argue that it would be in the EU interest to impose the antidumping measures.
Download the paper (PDF)
You find the full version of the paper in the report Paving the Way for Unfair Competition: The Imposition of Anti-Dumping Duties on Ceramic Tiles from China.
New Report: Paving the Way for Unfair Competition: The Imposition of EU Anti-Dumping Duties on Ceramic Tiles from China
The report analyzes the imposition of EU anti-dumping duties on imports of ceramic tiles from China from a critical perspective. The analysis argues that the EU anti-dumping regulation must be revised with regard to several aspects if the objective is to establish efficient competition. In the absence of a reformed anti-dumping regulation, the anti-dumping measures will only contribute to unfair competition where the EU industry will be protected to the detriment of the European consumers.
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New Report: Cross-border Public Procurement - an EU Perspective
The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the current state of the regulatory and economic development in cross-border procurement. The nature of cross-border procurement is illustrated with two examples from public services: the first from a hospital and the second from an underground system. For this purpose, the first section elaborates on the concept of cross-border procurement, outlines the international disciplines on public procurement and studies some of the existing literature on the economic significance of cross-border procurement. The second section contains our two case studies.
Download the report (PDF)