Egenintresse eller allmänintresse : Nazityskland och svensk skogsindustri 1933-1945

• Swedish trade relations with Nazi Germany have been described and discussed in a number of ways. It has often been described, mainly as exchanging coal for iron ore. It is perhaps less well known that export of forest products from Sweden to Germany was, in value terms extensive than export of iron ore. Unlike ore export, export of forest products to Germany was not a traditional activity. This was a complete reorientation from the western market, mainly the USA and United Kingdom towards Germany. This book deals with the reasons for this reorientation and the extent and structure of the export and also the consequences of the reorientation. One comprehensive question has been whether Nazi economic thought met with any kind of understanding from the Swedish forest industry or the Swedish government. The main reason for selling forest products to Germany was of course that this big export industry had no alternative markets after April 1940, when Swedish trade with western markets was stopped by the barrier in Skagerrak. Even though production for the home market increased it was not possible to compensate for export markets. The German interest in these products was however weak and mainly directed towards raw material for pulp production, viscose pulp for textile production and paper sacks to replace textile sacks. The forest industry was eager to keep up this export and when Germany was granted credits, the forest industry was the main proponent. The forest industry was during the inter-war period increasingly dominated by cartels, national as well as international. Heavy price fluctuations were considered extremely harmful and regulation of the market was necessary. The Nazi government drove these thoughts many steps further and aimed to create a Big European room for forest products, with no tariffs and where production and distribution could be rationally planned. The Swedish forest industry took part in cooperation. A Swedish-German committee for forest products was established on governmental level with participation from forest industry. For paper and pulp, co-operation within centralised cartels was organised. The Swedish participation was reluctant.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Historia och arkeologi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- History and Archaeology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

forest industry

cartels

world war II

neutrality

sawmill products

pulp-and paper production

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