Canada-Sweden relations
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Bilateral relations
Canada and Sweden enjoy excellent bilateral relations based on people-to-people ties and mutually-beneficial economic partnerships. As two likeminded countries, Canada and Sweden are committed to democratic principles and work closely to support the rules-based international order, multilateralism, and the rule of law, to safeguard democracy and to promote human rights. As northern democracies, Canada and Sweden work together to promote cooperation in the Arctic and the sustainable development of the region. Canada and Sweden also work to strengthen transatlantic relations to safeguard and enhance our collective security and prosperity.
Canada and Sweden have a number of bilateral agreements in place, including the International Experience Canada Program, which allows young Canadians to live and work for a time in Sweden.
Canada is represented in Sweden by the Embassy of Canada to Sweden, in Stockholm, and by an Honorary Consul in Gothenburg. In Canada, Sweden maintains an Embassy in Ottawa, and Honorary consulates in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montréal, Québec, Regina, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Trade relations
As like-minded supporters of fair, open, sustainable and inclusive free trade, Canada and Sweden enjoy a strong commercial relationship. The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), ratified by Sweden in May 2018, allows businesses from both countries to compete on a truly level playing-field by offering better predictability, protection and transparency, resulting in significant trade flows. Under CETA, tariffs have been eliminated on virtually all of Sweden's exports to Canada including: automotive products (tariffs up to 11%); chemicals and plastics (tariffs up to 15.5%); and furniture (tariffs up to 15.5%).
Bilateral merchandise trade has increased by 83.9% from 2016 to 2023. Bilateral merchandise trade is valued at $4.8 billion in 2023: Canada exported $732.7 million and imported $4.0 billion worth of goods.
Partnerships and organizations
To develop effective responses to today’s most pressing global challenges, Canada and Sweden work closely in multilateral forums, such as:
- Arctic Council
- European Union (EU)
- International Criminal Court (ICC)
- Multilateral Organization Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN)
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- Open Government Partnership (OGP)
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
- United Nations (UN)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
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