The biggest country in Northern Europe by land area and Europe’s fifth largest, the Kingdom of Sweden imported US$149.8 billion worth of products from around the globe during 2020. That dollar amount reflects a -5.8% reduction from $159 billion in 2019.

This article presents a quick reference snapshot of Sweden’s main imported products in 2020, categorized by dollar amount and major trading partners.

Sweden shares its western and northern land borders with Norway and its eastern land border with Finland. Sweden’s southwest border connects to Denmark via a bridge tunnel across the Öresund Strait.

Data is organized by overall metrics then drill down to the most valuable Swedish imports during 2020 for each of Sweden’s top 10 supplier countries. Those leading trading partners accounted for well over three-quarters (78.4%) of total Swedish import purchases.

Product categories shown summarize calculations at the two-digit Harmonized System code level. Two-digit codes enable higher-level insights and trends for Swedish imports and each of the top supplier countries.

Sweden’s Main Imports from Germany

In 2020, Germany’s exports to Sweden amounted to $27.3 billion or 18.2% of overall Swedish imports.

That dollar amount represents a -3.2% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 73.6% of Sweden’s imports from Germany.

Vehicles: $6.2 billion
Machinery: $4.4 billion
Electronic equipment: $2.9 billion
Plastics: $1.2 billion
Pharmaceuticals: $1.1 billion
Medical, technical equipment: $952.3 million
Iron and steel: $674.4 million
Iron or steel products: $549.7 million
Other chemical goods: $375.3 million
Inorganic chemicals: $304.6 million
Rubber: $299 million
Furniture, lighting, signs: $285.2 million
Paper: $284.2 million
Railway, tram equipment: $283 million
Mineral fuels including oil: $278.8 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Swedish imports from Germany under the electronic equipment product category via a 12.3% gain in revenue, inorganic chemicals (up 12.1%) and pharmaceuticals (up 10%).

Posting the severest declines among Sweden’s top 15 imported products were iron and steel as materials (down -29.6%), machinery (down -10.4%) then products made from iron or steel (down -8.7%).

Sweden’s Main Imports from Netherlands

In 2020, the Netherlands’ exports to Sweden amounted to $14.6 billion or 9.8% of overall Swedish imports.

That dollar amount represents a -1.7% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 76.8% of Sweden’s imports from the Netherlands.

Electronic equipment: $3.5 billion
Machinery: $2.6 billion
Mineral fuels including oil: $940.1 million
Vehicles: $880.5 million
Medical, technical equipment: $588.1 million
Pharmaceuticals: $488.7 million
Plastics: $423.8 million
Iron and steel: $344.6 million
Other chemical goods: $300.5 million
Vegetables: $242.9 million
Fruits, nuts: $229.5 million
Live trees and plants: $213.1 million
Beverages: $182.2 million
Dairy, eggs, honey: $169.5 million
Vegetable/fruit preparations: $162.2 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Swedish imports from the Netherlands under the live trees and plants product category via a 16.1% gain in revenue, beverages (up 15.2%), pharmaceuticals (up 13.4%) and machinery (up 7.8%).

Posting the severest declines among Sweden’s top 15 imported products were mineral fuels including oil (down -22.7%), iron and steel as materials (down -21.8%) and vehicles (down -13.3%).

Sweden’s Main Imports from Norway

In 2020, Norway’s exports to Sweden amounted to $13.5 billion or 9% of overall Swedish imports.

That dollar amount represents a 1.3% gain compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 89.8% of Sweden’s imports from Norway.

Mineral fuels including oil: $4.5 billion
Fish: $4.3 billion
Aluminum: $536.3 million
Wood: $440.4 million
Plastics: $404.8 million
Machinery: $285.6 million
Vehicles: $241.9 million
Paper: $240.8 million
Electronic equipment: $234.1 million
Iron and steel: $230.1 million
Organic chemicals: $206.7 million
Other chemical goods: $128.6 million
Inorganic chemicals: $126.4 million
Iron or steel products: $124.6 million
Copper: $122.9 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Swedish imports from Norway under the mineral fuels including oil product category via a 14.9% gain in revenue and electronic equipment (up 5.7%).

Posting the severest declines among Sweden’s top 15 imported products were machinery (down -22.8%), organic chemicals (down -20.5%), vehicles (down -13%) and miscellaneous chemical goods (down -12%).

Sweden’s Main Imports from Denmark

In 2020, Denmark’s exports to Sweden amounted to $10.2 billion or 6.8% of overall Swedish imports.

That dollar amount represents a -2.9% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 60.2% of Sweden’s imports from Denmark.

Machinery: $1.1 billion
Mineral fuels including oil: $898.4 million
Electronic equipment: $812.7 million
Pharmaceuticals: $745.5 million
Plastics: $332.6 million
Dairy, eggs, honey: $312.9 million
Furniture, lighting, signs: $295.4 million
Animal/vegetable fats and oils: $244.3 million
Medical, technical equipment: $222.1 million
Iron or steel products: $220 million
Clothing (not knit or crochet): $216.5 million
Vehicles: $198.1 million
Meat: $194.9 million
Knit or crochet clothing: $171.5 million
Perfumes, cosmetics: $169.3 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Swedish imports from Denmark under the medical or technical equipment product category via a 12.7% gain in revenue then furniture, lighting and signs (up 8.3%).

Posting the severest declines among Sweden’s top 15 imported products were mineral fuels including oil (down -35.3%) and meat (down -8.3%).

Sweden’s Main Imports from China

In 2020, China’s exports to Sweden amounted to $9.3 billion or 4.1% of overall Swedish imports.

That dollar amount represents a -4.1% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 84.9% of Sweden’s imports from the mainland China.

Electronic equipment: $2.2 billion
Machinery: $1.5 billion
Furniture, lighting, signs: $841.4 million
Clothing (not knit or crochet): $517.1 million
Knit or crochet clothing: $418 million
Iron or steel products: $407.9 million
Toys, games: $331.6 million
Plastics: $324.8 million
Medical, technical equipment: $315.4 million
Vehicles: $278 million
Other textiles, worn clothing: $266 million
Footwear: $148.8 million
Leather, animal gut articles: $147.2 million
Other base metal goods: $111.6 million
Rubber: $100.9 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Swedish imports from China under the miscellaneous textiles including worn clothing product category via a 53.3% gain in revenue, plastics as a material (up 15%) and medical or technical equipment (up 14.5%).

Posting the severest declines among Sweden’s top 15 imported products were products made from iron or steel (down -30.4%), items made from leather or animal gut (down -21.8%), vehicles (down -19.2%), footwear (down -15.3%) then unknitted and non-crocheted clothing (down -13.2%).

Sweden’s Main Imports from Poland

In 2020, Poland’s exports to Sweden amounted to $7.1 billion or 4.7% of overall Swedish imports.

That dollar amount represents a 5.8% gain compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 74.7% of Sweden’s imports from Poland.

Electronic equipment: $1.5 billion
Machinery: $913.7 million
Vehicles: $650 million
Furniture, lighting, signs: $500.7 million
Iron or steel products: $243.4 million
Wood: $211.1 million
Plastics: $202 million
Paper: $167.5 million
Glass: $163.7 million
Clothing (not knit or crochet): $157.2 million
Knit or crochet clothing: $127.4 million
Rubber: $122.8 million
Footwear: $112.6 million
Pharmaceuticals: $111.8 million
Meat: $105 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Swedish imports from Poland under the footwear product category via a 77.2% gain in revenue, knitted and crocheted clothing (up 77%), unknitted or non-crocheted clothing (up 52.2%), electronic equipment (up 28.2%) and plastics as a material (up 10.7%).

Posting the severest declines among Sweden’s top 15 imported products were wood (down -10.2%) and vehicles (down -6.9%).

Sweden’s Main Imports from Finland

In 2020, Finland’s exports to Sweden amounted to $7 billion or 4.7% of overall Swedish imports.

That dollar amount represents a -9.8% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 73.2% of Sweden’s imports from Finland.

Mineral fuels including oil: $1.3 billion
Machinery: $736.9 million
Iron and steel: $564.2 million
Vehicles: $409.2 million
Electronic equipment: $352.8 million
Iron or steel products: $289.9 million
Plastics: $280.8 million
Paper: $253.2 million
Ores, slag, ash: $207 million
Wood: $163.2 million
Dairy, eggs, honey: $139.6 million
Woodpulp: $129.6 million
Rubber: $113.2 million
Medical, technical equipment: $112.1 million
Organic chemicals: $94.7 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Swedish imports from Finland under the organic chemicals product category via a 117.2% gain in revenue, ores, slag and ash (up 24.3%), medical or technical equipment (up 17.8%) and electronic equipment (up 13.2%).

Posting the severest declines among Sweden’s top 15 imported products were mineral fuels including oil (down -38.3%), rubber (down -15.8%), paper (down -13.8%), plastics as a material (down -11%) and wood (down -10.1%).

Sweden’s Main Imports from Belgium

In 2020, Belgium’s exports to Sweden amounted to $6.5 billion or 4.4% of overall Swedish imports.

That dollar amount represents a -3.8% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 77.7% of Sweden’s imports from Belgium.

Vehicles: $2 billion
Pharmaceuticals: $614.9 million
Machinery: $498.2 million
Plastics: $367.8 million
Electronic equipment: $272 million
Medical, technical equipment: $232.5 million
Organic chemicals: $191.2 million
Mineral fuels including oil: $157 million
Iron and steel: $154.4 million
Rubber: $142.6 million
Footwear: $94 million
Other chemical goods: $90.9 million
Beverages: $80 million
Cereal, milk preparations: $74 million
Perfumes, cosmetics: $55.9 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Swedish imports from Belgium under the pharmaceuticals product category via a 30.2% gain in revenue and cereal or milk preparations (up 13.3%).

Posting the severest declines among Sweden’s top 15 imported products were mineral fuels including oil (down -45.5%), iron and steel as materials (down -17.8%), plastics as a material (down -11.5%), vehicles (down -10.4%) and rubber (down -9.7%).

Sweden’s Main Imports from the UK

In 2020, the United Kingdom’s exports to Sweden amounted to $6.3 billion or 4.2% of overall Swedish imports.

That dollar amount represents a -12.4% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 77% of Sweden’s imports from Britain.

Mineral fuels including oil: $899.9 million
Machinery: $766.1 million
Vehicles: $754.5 million
Electronic equipment: $605.4 million
Organic chemicals: $335 million
Iron and steel: $318.3 million
Plastics: $258 million
Pharmaceuticals: $238.7 million
Medical, technical equipment: $175.8 million
Beverages: $119.3 million
Other chemical goods: $100.6 million
Inorganic chemicals: $88.4 million
Iron or steel products: $88.2 million
Perfumes, cosmetics: $68.1 million
Toys, games: $67.7 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Swedish imports from the United Kingdom under the inorganic chemicals product category via a 119.7% gain in revenue, organic chemicals (up 100.6%) then toys and games (up 13.2%).

Posting the severest declines among Sweden’s top 15 imported products were vehicles (down -27.5%), miscellaneous chemical goods (down -19.4%), iron and steel as materials (down -19%), medical or technical equipment (down -17.3%), machinery (down -16.6%) and products made from iron or steel (down -15.5%).

Sweden’s Main Imports from France

In 2020, France’s exports to Sweden amounted to $5.7 billion or 3.8% of overall Swedish imports.

That dollar amount represents a -5.2% drop compared to 2019.

By value, the 15 major product categories listed below represent 78% of Sweden’s imports from France.

Vehicles: $1 billion
Electronic equipment: $710.1 million
Machinery: $598 million
Organic chemicals: $386.8 million
Beverages: $301.7 million
Pharmaceuticals: $237.7 million
Plastics: $226.3 million
Other chemical goods: $206 million
Medical, technical equipment: $157.2 million
Iron and steel: $138.5 million
Rubber: $123 million
Iron or steel products: $98.2 million
Perfumes, cosmetics: $97.3 million
Aircraft, spacecraft: $63.9 million
Dairy, eggs, honey: $55.6 million

Fastest increases from 2019 to 2020 were for Swedish imports from France under the aircraft and spacecraft product category via a 265.2% gain in revenue, miscellaneous chemical goods (up 41.1%), perfumes and cosmetics (up 14.2%), medical or technical equipment (up 12.3%) and organic chemicals (up 11.5%).

Posting the severest declines among Sweden’s top 15 imported products were iron and steel as materials (down -40.4%), vehicles (down -18.7%), dairy, eggs and honey (down -14.3%) and rubber (down -14%).

References

Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational sources.

International Trade Centre, Trade Map.

Wikipedia, Sweden, Borders of Sweden

World’s Top Exports, Import News.

Sweden’s Main Imports by Top Supplier Countries