Trading in goods
The page was last modified:If you trade in goods within the EU, most often the same rules apply as those in Sweden. On the other hand, if you trade in goods outside the EU, special rules may apply for certain products. You will also need to provide a customs declaration to Swedish Customs, and in certain cases pay a customs duty.
Goods or Service?
Material things are “goods” or products. Goods also include real estate, gas, cooling and electrical power. “Services” are anything else that can be provided. It is often easy to determine what is a product/goods, however in some cases it can be difficult make a clear distinction between goods and services.
Example: If a software programme is downloaded from a website, it is regarded as being a service. However if the software is sold on a CD, DVD or similar media, it can be regarded as a product.
Trade in goods within the EU/EEA
The EEA – the EU countries plus Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein – have a common market where goods lawfully marketed in one EEA country may be sold in all EEA countries. For most goods, the EU has also developed common product rules. Most often, but not always, this means that these goods are to be CE marked in order to be able to be sold in the EEA market.
For those goods that are not encompassed within common EU rules, what applies instead are the product requirements in national regulations. However, the principle remains in effect that if the product complies with the national requirements of an EEA country, it may be sold in all EEA countries, provided that the requirements are equivalent or similar. This principle is termed “mutual recognition.”
Read more about importing goods from EU/EEA countries
Read more about exporting goods to EU/EEA countries
Trade in goods outside the EU/EEA
If you export to countries outside the EEA, you will need to find out what the applicable product requirements are for each individual country.
Read more about exporting goods to countries outside the EU/EEA
When you import goods from non-EEA countries, you are responsible for ensuring that goods that are required to be CE-marked are properly marked, and that other products complies with national product requirements.
Responsible: Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth