How Swede It Is
Exporting to Sweden and more.
Suzanne Southard started Texas Trading in Dallas last fall,
exporting clothing, accessories, sports equipment and snack foods
to finicky Swedish buyers. In just a few months, her homebased
company had racked up sales of $30,000. If you're thinking of
following in 36-year-old Southard's footsteps and exporting to
Sweden, keep the following information in mind:
Sweden is an advanced, industrialized country whose imports and
exports, in recent years, have comprised two-thirds of its gross
domestic product. The third-largest country in Europe, it's
generally thought of as a low-turmoil, superior export market.
What's more, Swedes enjoy a high standard of living and can
afford to purchase high-end, high-quality products.
Among the benefits of exporting to Sweden: The country has
comparatively reasonable tariff rates and the second-lowest
corporate tax rate in Europe. It's an open market and a member
of the European Union; as such, it provides access to 370 million
consumers. Some business owners use Sweden as a gateway to emerging
Baltic markets. However, a value-added tax is added to the cost of
your product when it reaches the consumer; keep this in mind when
pricing your product.
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Swedish export experts say hot markets for entrepreneurs include
computers and software, sporting goods (especially ski, hockey, ice
skating, golf and equestrian equipment), medical equipment,
automotive parts and services, and food items (especially snack
foods).
Swedish tastes in packaging tend to run along minimalist lines.
Swedes are very environmentally conscious, so be
conservation-minded when designing packaging, and don't use too
much plastic. "The simpler the packaging, the better,"
says Richard Koehler, president of Houston-based IKR Corp., an
international marketing consultancy. Not only will Swedish
consumers appreciate your minimal packaging, but it will help lower
shipping costs, too.
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