On 21 January, new customs rules will be introduced in the EU. It also affects Norway, even though we are not part of the union. Each year, 600,000 tonnes of goods and freight are transported by train, from Norway via the EU country Sweden and back into Northern Norway. This has been done for several decades, but over the New Year it could come to an abrupt halt. Because the new customs rules would lead to so much extra work in the transport of goods that the large transport operators would instead transport the goods by lorry northwards. These are the new requirements As early as January 2025, the Swedish Customs Administration will introduce requirements for a description of goods with a customs tariff number. Goods sent from Oslo by train via Sweden to Narvik must then state the customs tariff number for each individual item, something the industry does not have access to. For a train, this will amount to approximately 10,000 toll tariff numbers, in total this will be approximately 200,000 numbers per week. The same applies to all truck transport through Sweden. Source: NHO Posten called it a “disaster for Northern Norway”. NHO’s transport department also sounded the alarm and notified over 1,000 more trucks on Norwegian roads every week. – This will go beyond goods delivery and postal delivery in Northern Norway. The prices of many different goods will increase in Northern Norway, including groceries, said transport director Are Kjensli in NHO. This led to Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum sending a separate delegation from the Ministry of Finance to Brussels in an “urgent meeting” to find a solution. Annually, over 600,000 tonnes of goods are transported northwards along the railways in Sweden before re-entering Norway. Cargo from CargoNet in Trondheim is waiting here. Photo: Morten Andersen Customs crisis blocked after “urgent meeting” An arrangement has now been found so that the transport of goods can go through Sweden as before. The Ministry of Finance confirms this to news. – I feel that we have achieved a good understanding of Norway’s special situation. I assume that the flow of goods between southern and northern Norway through Sweden can continue, Finance Minister Vedum. It is not known what the scheme actually entails. news has previously reported that a number of meetings have taken place between the ministries and customs agencies in Norway and Sweden in recent months to resolve the announced crisis. These culminated in a meeting between the Ministry of Finance, the Customs Agency and the EU’s transit committee in Brussels on Wednesday this week. Finance Minister Vedum in a meeting with NHO earlier this week before the meeting in Brussels on Wednesday. Photo: Marie Skikstein Roses for the Swedes Here it was emphasized from the Norwegian side that the new customs rules would have negative consequences for business in the form of changes in the transport of goods, increased time consumption and significant costs. It was also highlighted that it could affect preparedness in the northern areas and lead to an increased load on the road network in northern Norway. The matter has had a high priority at the Ministry of Finance in order to find a solution before the new rules come into force on 21 January. Finance Minister Vedum has also become involved in the matter this week. Photo: Marie Skikstein / news Vedum is now praising its colleagues in Sweden for having reached a solution. – It is nevertheless important that the business community and the Customs Agency work together to be able to provide more detailed information about the goods. At the same time, I would like to thank our Swedish friends for good dialogue and for their assistance in shedding light on the matter, says Vedum. Published 06.12.2024, at 12.46 Updated 06.12.2024, at 14.48
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