The Swedish Trade Council, founded in 1972, promotes Swedish exports on behalf of the Swedish industry and government. The organization’s aim is to make it easier for Swedish companies to grow internationally by providing the necessary services to establish a company and its products, services or ideas in new markets. It also helps to reinforce the image of Sweden as an attractive country to do business with.
The Swedish Trade Council has more than 60 offices in more than 50 countries and is represented in every Swedish region and county. Its head offices are in Stockholm and it is headed by President Ulf Berg.
The publicly funded functions include export information, trade promotion, and regional export counseling, which are offered to all companies in Sweden. The Swedish Trade Council also conducts publicly funded targeted investments against smaller companies, strategic industries and relevant growth markets.
The Swedish Trade Council works within seven strategic business areas that mirror major Swedish export sectors: Health & Life Science, Food, Energy & Environmental Technology, Transport Systems, Industrial Equipment and Vehicles, ICT, and Safety and Security.
Currently, the Council has about 500 employees working in close collaboration with Swedish embassies, consulates and chambers of commerce. Formally, in most of these countries, its country manager holds the title of Commercial Counselor at the local Swedish embassy, and hence enjoys official status in the country. Normally all other staff, apart from local employed staff, are employed as civil servants at the Commercial Counselor's Office, which is a Swedish Government Agency.