Exports and imports of goods, January–September 2020, in current prices and in constant prices
Weaker decline in both exports and imports of goods in the third quarter
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2020-11-27 9.30
In the third quarter 2020, Swedish exports of goods decreased by 9 percent in value, and by 2 percent in volume, compared with the same period last year. Imports of goods decreased by 10 percent in value, and by 4 percent in volume.
Summary
- In the period January–September 2020, the value (in current prices) of Swedish exports of goods amounted to SEK 1 051 billion, a decrease of 7 percent compared with the same period a year ago. At the same time, the value of imports of goods decreased by 10 percent and amounted to SEK 1 001 billion.
- In the period January–September 2020, exports of goods decreased by 3 percent, and imports of goods decreased by 6 percent in volume (in constant prices).
- Net trade shows a surplus of SEK 50 billion in the period January–September 2020. In the same period in 2019, there was a net trade surplus of SEK 19 billion.
- In the third quarter of 2020, Swedish exports of goods decreased by 9 percent in value, and by 2 percent in volume, compared with the same period last year. Imports of goods decreased by 10 percent in value, and by 4 percent in volume.
- Compared with the previous quarter, Swedish exports of goods increased by 1 percent in value and by 4 percent in volume. At the same time, imports of goods increased by 4 percent in value and by 6 percent in volume.
Detailed information about January–September 2020 (current prices)
Imports of goods from Finland decreased by 15 percent
Sweden’s exports of goods to EU27 decreased by 9 percent and imports of goods from there decreased by 8 percent compared with the same period a year ago. Exports to the euro countries decreased by 10 percent, and imports from there decreased by 9 percent. Among the EU countries, exports to Germany fell by 8 percent, to Belgium by 20 percent, and to Finland by 7 percent. Imports from Germany decreased by 8 percent, from Belgium by 11 percent, and from Finland by 15 percent.
Exports to other European countries fell by 10 percent, and imports from there decreased by 15 percent. Exports to the United Kingdom decreased by 18 percent, and imports from there fell by 15 percent. Exports to Norway decreased by 7 percent, while imports from there remained unchanged. Exports to Russia decreased by 9 percent, and imports from there fell by 66 percent. In the period, imports of crude oil from Russia fell considerably.
Exports to Asia increased by 2 percent, while imports from there decreased by 10 percent. Exports to China increased by 19 percent, while imports from there fell by 8 percent. In the period, exports of pharmaceutical products and iron ore accounted for the largest increase to China.
Exports to the United States increased by 2 percent, and imports from there increased by 5 percent.
Exports of road vehicles fell by 22 percent
Exports of machinery and transport equipment decreased by 11 percent. Within this product area, exports of road vehicles fell by 22 percent. Exports of minerals decreased by 9 percent. Within this product area, exports of iron ore rose by 13 percent, while exports of iron/steel fell by 24 percent. Exports of wood and paper products decreased by 4 percent, and mineral fuels and electric current fell by 34 percent. Exports of chemicals and rubber products rose by 9 percent. Within this product area, exports of pharmaceutical products increased by 21 percent. Within the other products area, textiles/clothing/footwear increased by 6 percent.
Imports of crude petroleum oils decreased by 35 percent
Imports of machinery and transport equipment decreased by 9 percent. Within this product area, imports of road vehicles fell by 20 percent. Imports of minerals decreased by 16 percent, and imports of wood and paper products fell by 10 percent. Imports of chemicals and rubber products decreased by 1 percent. Within this product area, imports of pharmaceutical products increased by 16 percent, while imports of plastics and crude rubber/rubber products fell by 10 and 15 percent respectively. Imports of mineral fuels and electric current fell by 34 percent. Within this product area, crude petroleum oils decreased by 35 percent. Imports of other products fell by 3 percent.
Detailed information about the third quarter 2020 (in current prices and in constant prices)
Exports of mineral fuels and electric current decreased by 40 percent in value and by 10 cent in volume
In the third quarter, Sweden’s exports of goods decreased by 9 percent in value and by 2 percent in volume compared with the corresponding period a year ago.
Exports of machinery and transport equipment decreased by 7 percent in value and by 3 percent in volume. Within this product area, exports of industrial machinery decreased by 11 percent in value and by 9 percent in volume. Exports of mineral fuels and electric current decreased by 40 percent in value and by 10 percent in volume. The large difference between the value and volume trends is due to lower prices on petroleum products. Minerals decreased by 9 percent in value and by 2 percent in volume. Chemical and rubber products decreased by 10 percent in value and by 4 percent in volume. Within this product area, exports of pharmaceutical products decreased by 12 percent in value and by 6 percent in volume. Exports of wood and paper products decreased by 8 percent in value and by 1 percent in volume. Within the other products area, exports of food/beverages/tobacco remained unchanged in value and increased by 5 percent in volume.
Imports of crude petroleum oils decreased by 45 percent in value and by 17 percent in volume
In the third quarter, Sweden’s imports of goods decreased by 10 percent in value and by 4 percent in volume compared with the corresponding period a year ago.
Imports of machinery and transport equipment decreased by 6 percent in value and by 4 percent in volume. Within this product area, imports of road vehicles fell by 8 percent in both value and volume. Imports of mineral fuels and electric current decreased by 40 percent in value and by 6 percent in volume. Within this product area, imports of petroleum oils decreased by 45 percent in value and by 17 percent in volume. The main difference between the value and volume trends is due to lower prices on crude petroleum oils. Imports of chemicals and rubber products decreased by 6 percent in value and 1 percent in volume. Within this product area, imports of plastics decreased by 15 percent in value and by 4 percent in value. Imports of wood and paper products decreased by 13 percent in value and by 8 percent in volume, and minerals decreased by 16 percent in value and by 12 percent in volume. Within the other products area, imports of food/beverages/tobacco decreased by 5 percent in value and rose by 1 percent in volume. Textiles/clothing/footwear decreased by 8 percent in value and by 6 percent in volume.
The value index and the volume index describe nominal and real value trends over time. The real value trends describe trends in which price changes have been removed. The indices are chain indices with base year 2015=100.
The value index for exports of goods in the third quarter remained at a similar level as in the second quarter. Export prices continued to fall, which led to a slightly increased volume index compared with the previous quarter and is now close to the level of the volume index in the corresponding quarter in 2019.
The value index for imports of goods increased slightly in the third quarter. Import prices continued to fall, which led to an upturn in the volume index.
| Exports | Imports | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value (current prices) | Value (current prices) | ||||||||
| Region | January-September | Share in % | Change in % | January-September | Share in % | Change in % | |||
| 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020/2019 | 2020 | 2019 | 2020 | 2020/2019 | ||
| Total | 1 050 660 | 1 132 985 | 100.0 | ‑7 | 1 000 949 | 1 113 973 | 100.0 | ‑10 | |
| Europe | 751 105 | 826 384 | 71.5 | ‑9 | 840 015 | 926 795 | 83.9 | ‑9 | |
| EU27_2020 | 545 119 | 597 274 | 51.9 | ‑9 | 670 114 | 727 610 | 66.9 | ‑8 | |
| EMU-19 | 412 318 | 460 212 | 39.2 | ‑10 | 522 389 | 572 436 | 52.2 | ‑9 | |
| EU28 | 596 988 | 660 730 | 56.8 | ‑10 | 713 672 | 779 144 | 71.3 | ‑8 | |
| Other European countries | 205 986 | 229 110 | 19.6 | ‑10 | 169 901 | 199 185 | 17.0 | ‑15 | |
| Africa | 19 639 | 21 534 | 1.9 | ‑9 | 5 051 | 15 062 | 0.5 | ‑66 | |
| North Africa | 10 427 | 10 660 | 1.0 | ‑2 | 1 198 | 3 200 | 0.1 | ‑63 | |
| West Africa | 2 491 | 2 403 | 0.2 | 4 | 2 186 | 8 771 | 0.2 | ‑75 | |
| Central, East and Southern Africa | 6 721 | 8 471 | 0.6 | ‑21 | 1 668 | 3 091 | 0.2 | ‑46 | |
| America | 117 939 | 121 451 | 11.2 | ‑3 | 40 080 | 42 550 | 4.0 | ‑6 | |
| North America | 98 250 | 97 591 | 9.4 | 1 | 32 974 | 31 235 | 3.3 | 6 | |
| Central and South America | 19 689 | 23 860 | 1.9 | ‑17 | 7 106 | 11 315 | 0.7 | ‑37 | |
| Asia | 144 872 | 141 677 | 13.8 | 2 | 112 694 | 125 414 | 11.3 | ‑10 | |
| Middle- and Near East | 22 345 | 22 447 | 2.1 | 0 | 4 431 | 4 713 | 0.4 | ‑6 | |
| Other countries in Asia | 122 528 | 119 230 | 11.7 | 3 | 108 263 | 120 702 | 10.8 | ‑10 | |
| Oceania and Antarctica | 13 890 | 14 687 | 1.3 | ‑5 | 2 204 | 3 210 | 0.2 | ‑31 | |
| Exports | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value (current prices) | Value (current prices) | Volume (value in constant prices) | Value (current prices) | Volume (value in constant prices) | ||||
| Share in % | Change in % | Change in % | Change in % | Change in % | ||||
| Commodity group according to SITC | January-September 2020 | January-September 2019 | January-September 2020 | Q1-3 2020/Q1-3 2019 | Q1-3 2020/Q1-3 2019 | Q3 2020/Q3 2019 | Q3 2020/Q3 2019 | |
| Total | 1 050 660 | 1 132 985 | 100.0 | ‑7 | ‑3 | ‑9 | ‑2 | |
| Wood and paper products | 108 762 | 113 422 | 10.4 | ‑4 | 3 | ‑8 | ‑1 | |
| Wood | 24 600 | 23 934 | 2.3 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | |
| Pulp and waste paper | 17 901 | 19 941 | 1.7 | ‑10 | 10 | ‑16 | 1 | |
| Paper, paperproducts | 61 262 | 64 494 | 5.8 | ‑5 | ‑1 | ‑10 | ‑3 | |
| Minerals | 107 224 | 117 793 | 10.2 | ‑9 | ‑4 | ‑9 | ‑2 | |
| Iron ore and concentrates | 20 941 | 18 544 | 2.0 | 13 | 29 | 19 | 46 | |
| Iron and steel | 42 268 | 55 651 | 4.0 | ‑24 | ‑19 | ‑33 | ‑24 | |
| Non-ferrous metals | 20 658 | 19 703 | 2.0 | 5 | 5 | 21 | 16 | |
| Chemicals, rubber products | 173 187 | 159 540 | 16.5 | 9 | 9 | ‑10 | ‑4 | |
| Organic/inorganic chemicals | 14 110 | 15 026 | 1.3 | ‑6 | ‑2 | ‑15 | ‑7 | |
| Pharmaceuticals products | 93 467 | 77 141 | 8.9 | 21 | 21 | ‑12 | ‑6 | |
| Plastics | 25 300 | 27 131 | 2.4 | ‑7 | ‑3 | ‑11 | ‑5 | |
| Mineral fuels, electric current | 51 620 | 78 257 | 4.9 | ‑34 | 8 | ‑40 | ‑10 | |
| Petroleum products | 44 464 | 65 379 | 4.2 | ‑32 | ‑2 | ‑42 | ‑15 | |
| Machinery, transport equipment | 455 707 | 512 656 | 43.4 | ‑11 | ‑11 | ‑7 | ‑3 | |
| Manufactures of metals | 27 620 | 30 216 | 2.6 | ‑9 | ‑9 | ‑8 | ‑6 | |
| Industrial machinery | 151 721 | 169 405 | 14.4 | ‑10 | ‑11 | ‑11 | ‑9 | |
| Electronics, telecommunication | 113 145 | 110 952 | 10.8 | 2 | ‑1 | ‑3 | ‑1 | |
| Road vehicles | 130 935 | 167 304 | 12.5 | ‑22 | ‑20 | ‑6 | 2 | |
| Passenger cars | 72 372 | 81 504 | 6.9 | ‑11 | ‑8 | 5 | 19 | |
| Lorries, trucks[1] | 15 469 | 24 612 | 1.5 | ‑37 | ‑36 | ‑33 | ‑30 | |
| Parts, accessories | 34 536 | 50 052 | 3.3 | ‑31 | ‑31 | ‑12 | ‑10 | |
| Other transport equipment | 6 459 | 9 399 | 0.6 | ‑31 | ‑33 | ‑20 | ‑18 | |
| Instruments, photo/optical products | 25 828 | 25 380 | 2.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| Other products | 154 161 | 151 316 | 14.7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | |
| Food, beverages, tobacco | 72 403 | 71 130 | 6.9 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | |
| Textiles, clothing, footwear | 30 568 | 28 817 | 2.9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 6 | |
| Furniture | 14 431 | 15 129 | 1.4 | ‑5 | ‑5 | ‑5 | ‑5 | |
| Imports | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value (current prices) | Value (current prices) | Volume (value in constant prices) | Value (current prices) | Volume (value in constant prices) | ||||
| Share in % | Change in % | Change in % | Change in % | Change in % | ||||
| Commodity group according to SITC | January-September 2020 | January-September 2019 | January-September 2020 | Q1-3 2020/Q1-3 2019 | Q1-3 2020/Q1-3 2019 | Q3 2020/Q3 2019 | Q3 2020/Q3 2019 | |
| Total | 1 000 949 | 1 113 973 | 100.0 | ‑10 | ‑6 | ‑10 | ‑4 | |
| Wood and paper products | 29 010 | 32 212 | 2.9 | ‑10 | ‑6 | ‑13 | ‑8 | |
| Minerals | 72 577 | 86 595 | 7.3 | ‑16 | ‑13 | ‑16 | ‑12 | |
| Iron and steel | 29 470 | 38 966 | 2.9 | ‑24 | ‑20 | ‑24 | ‑17 | |
| Non-ferrous metals | 14 250 | 16 735 | 1.4 | ‑15 | ‑11 | ‑16 | ‑10 | |
| Metalliferrous ores, metal scrap | 11 001 | 12 073 | 1.1 | ‑9 | ‑7 | ‑4 | ‑6 | |
| Chemicals, rubber products | 137 786 | 139 099 | 13.8 | ‑1 | 1 | ‑6 | ‑1 | |
| Organic/inorganic chemicals | 27 567 | 29 105 | 2.8 | ‑5 | 1 | ‑10 | 1 | |
| Pharmaceuticals products | 39 638 | 34 236 | 4.0 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 9 | |
| Plastics | 24 900 | 27 602 | 2.5 | ‑10 | ‑2 | ‑15 | ‑4 | |
| Crude rubber, rubber products | 11 520 | 13 477 | 1.2 | ‑15 | ‑15 | ‑11 | ‑8 | |
| Mineral fuels, electric current | 78 429 | 119 737 | 7.8 | ‑34 | ‑2 | ‑40 | ‑6 | |
| Crude petroleum oils | 37 965 | 58 371 | 3.8 | ‑35 | 0 | ‑45 | ‑17 | |
| Petroleum products | 32 537 | 48 849 | 3.3 | ‑33 | ‑12 | ‑34 | ‑4 | |
| Machinery, transport equipment | 437 213 | 482 940 | 43.7 | ‑9 | ‑10 | ‑6 | ‑4 | |
| Manufactures of metals | 34 221 | 37 588 | 3.4 | ‑9 | ‑9 | ‑8 | ‑4 | |
| Industrial machinery | 107 407 | 119 884 | 10.7 | ‑10 | ‑12 | ‑8 | ‑6 | |
| Electronics, telecommunication | 160 059 | 162 185 | 16.0 | ‑1 | 1 | ‑2 | 2 | |
| Road vehicles | 102 756 | 127 750 | 10.3 | ‑20 | ‑21 | ‑8 | ‑8 | |
| Passenger cars | 50 376 | 57 764 | 5.0 | ‑13 | ‑15 | ‑2 | ‑4 | |
| Parts and accessories | 33 932 | 46 002 | 3.4 | ‑26 | ‑26 | ‑13 | ‑10 | |
| Other transport equipment | 5 971 | 8 416 | 0.6 | ‑29 | ‑32 | ‑26 | ‑24 | |
| Instruments, photo/optical equip | 26 799 | 27 117 | 2.7 | ‑1 | ‑3 | ‑2 | ‑2 | |
| Other products | 245 934 | 253 390 | 24.6 | ‑3 | ‑3 | ‑5 | ‑1 | |
| Food, beverages, tobacco | 119 614 | 121 958 | 12.0 | ‑2 | ‑1 | ‑5 | 1 | |
| Textiles, clothing, footwear | 57 842 | 62 572 | 5.8 | ‑8 | ‑10 | ‑8 | ‑6 | |
| Furniture | 18 122 | 18 642 | 1.8 | ‑3 | ‑4 | ‑3 | 1 | |
Definitions and explanations
The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union has led to the replacement of the former EU28 group in the country tables for foreign trade in goods with the EU27_2020 group. This change applies to country tables with data reported as from January 2020. The cutoff point is January 2020, rather than the actual withdrawal month February 2020, since the values in the tables are based on accumulated periods starting from January. In this text, the term EU27 is used.
Publication
This report is published in more detail in the statistical report:
Foreign trade – Exports and imports of goods January–September 2020 (pdf)
Next publishing will be
2021-02-26 at 09:30.
Statistical Database
More information is available in the Statistical Database
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.