# Minister for Foreign Trade (Sweden)

The Minister for Foreign Trade (Swedish: Utrikeshandelsminister), formally cabinet minister of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, is a member and minister of the Government of Sweden and is appointed by the Prime Minister. The minister is responsible for policies related to trade and investment promotion.
The current minister for foreign trade is Benjamin Dousa of the Moderate Party. He concurrently serves as minister for international development cooperation.

## History

Between 1 July 1920 to 31 December 1982, there was a separate Ministry of Commerce and Industry which was headed by the minister of commerce and industry (handelsminister). Gunnar Lange [sv; fi] (s) held the office for the longest time; 14 years and 32 days. The trade policy issues were dealt with between 1983 and 1996 by the minister of foreign trade (utrikeshandelsminister), who was a minister without portfolio at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. From 1996 to 2002 the title was minister for trade (handelsminister), and from 2002 the issues were dealt with by the minister for industry, employment and communications. In 2006, trade issues were moved from the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications back to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs by the Reinfeldt Cabinet. In 2014, the post of minister for trade was abolished and trade matters were transferred to the Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation by the Löfven I Cabinet. In connection with the government reshuffle on 25 May 2016, the post was re-established and is sorted under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The post has been combined with other ministerial posts since 2016: minister for EU affairs (2016–2019), minister for nordic cooperation (2019–2022) and minister for international development cooperation (2022–present).

## List of officeholders
### Color key

Independent Historical parties:  Lantmanna  Moderate  National Party  Liberals  Liberals  Liberals  Liberals Present parties:  Social Democrats  Moderate  Centre  Left  Liberals  Christian Democrats  Green  Sweden Democrats

### Status

Denotes acting Minister of Commerce and Industry
Ministers of Commerce and Industry (1920–1982) :
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Term | Term | Term | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Took office | Left office | Duration | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| | | Fredrik Vilhelm Thorsson (1865–1925) | 1 July 1920 | 27 October 1920 | 118 days | Social Democrats | – | Branting I |
| | | Gösta Malm (1873–1965) | 27 October 1920 | 13 October 1921 | 351 days | Independent | – | De Geer d.y. von Sydow |
| | | Carl Svensson (1879–1938) | 13 October 1921 | 19 April 1923 | 1 year, 188 days | Social Democrats | – | Branting II |
| | | Nils Wohlin (1881–1948) | 19 April 1923 | 18 October 1924 | 1 year, 182 days | Independent | – | Trygger |
| | | Rickard Sandler (1884–1964) | 18 October 1924 | 27 February 1925 | 132 days | Social Democrats | – | Branting III Sandler |
| | | Carl Svensson (1879–1938) | 27 February 1925 | 7 June 1926 | 1 year, 130 days | Social Democrats | – | Sandler |
| | | Felix Hamrin (1875–1937) | 7 June 1926 | 2 October 1928 | 2 years, 122 days | Liberals | L–L | Ekman I |
| | | Vilhelm Lundvik (1883–1969) | 2 October 1928 | 7 June 1930 | 1 year, 248 days | Electoral League | – | Lindman II |
| | | David Hansén (1880–1957) | 7 June 1930 | 24 September 1932 | 2 years, 109 days | Liberals | – | Ekman II Hamrin |
| | | Fritjof Ekman (1888–1952) | 24 September 1932 | 19 June 1936 | 3 years, 269 days | Social Democrats | – | Hansson I |
| | | Elof Ericsson (1887–1961) | 19 June 1936 | 28 September 1936 | 101 days | Independent | – | Pehrsson-Bramstorp |
| | | Per Edvin Sköld (1891–1972) | 28 September 1936 | 16 December 1938 | 2 years, 79 days | Social Democrats | S/SAP–C | Hansson II |
| | | Gustav Möller (1884–1970) | 16 December 1938 | 13 December 1939 | 362 days | Social Democrats | S/SAP–C | Hansson II |
| | | Fritiof Domö (1889–1961) | 13 December 1939 | 7 March 1941 | 1 year, 84 days | Moderate | S/SAP–C–L–M | Hansson III |
| | | Herman Eriksson (1892–1949) | 7 March 1941 | 30 September 1944 | 3 years, 207 days | Social Democrats | S/SAP–C–L–M | Hansson III |
| | | Bertil Ohlin (1899–1979) | 30 September 1944 | 31 July 1945 | 304 days | Liberals | S/SAP–C–L–M | Hansson III |
| | | Gunnar Myrdal (1898–1987) | 31 July 1945 | 11 April 1947 | 2 years, 123 days | Social Democrats | – | Hansson IV Erlander I |
| | | Axel Gjöres (1889–1979) | 24 May 1947 | 24 September 1948 | 1 year, 123 days | Social Democrats | – | Erlander I |
| | | John Ericsson (1907–1977) | 28 October 1948 | 12 September 1955 | 6 years, 319 days | Social Democrats | S/SAP–C | Erlander I Erlander II |
| | | Gunnar Lange (1909–1976) | 12 September 1955 | 14 October 1969 | 14 years, 32 days | Social Democrats | – | Erlander I Erlander II Palme I |
| | | Kjell-Olof Feldt (1931–2025) | 9 October 1970 | 9 November 1975 | 5 years, 0 days | Social Democrats | – | Palme I |
| | | Carl Lidbom (1926–2004) | 10 November 1975 | 8 October 1976 | 333 days | Social Democrats | – | Palme I |
| | | Staffan Burenstam Linder (1931–2000) | 8 October 1976 | 18 October 1978 | 2 years, 10 days | Moderate | C–M–L | Fälldin I |
| | | Hadar Cars (born 1933) | 18 October 1978 | 12 October 1979 | 359 days | Liberals | C–M–L | Ullsten |
| | | Staffan Burenstam Linder (1931–2000) | 12 October 1979 | 5 May 1981 | 1 year, 205 days | Moderate | C–M–L | Fälldin II |
| | | Jan-Erik Wikström (1932–2024) Acting | 5 May 1981 | 22 May 1981 | 17 days | Liberals | C–M–L | Fälldin II |
| | | Björn Molin (1932–2024) | 22 May 1981 | 8 October 1982 | 1 year, 139 days | Liberals | C–M–L | Fälldin III |
| | | Lennart Bodström (1928–2015) | 8 October 1982 | 31 December 1982 | 84 days | Social Democrats | C–M–L | Palme II |
| Ministers of Foreign Trade (1983–1996) |||||||||
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Term | Term | Term | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Took office | Left office | Duration | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| | | Mats Hellström (born 1942) | 11 January 1983 | 9 October 1986 | 3 years, 271 days | Social Democrats | – | Palme II Carlsson I |
| | | Anita Gradin (1933–2022) | 10 October 1986 | 4 October 1991 | 4 years, 359 days | Social Democrats | – | Carlsson I Carlsson II |
| | | Ulf Dinkelspiel (1939–2017) | 4 October 1991 | 7 October 1994 | 3 years, 3 days | Moderate | C–M–L–KD | Bildt |
| | | Mats Hellström (born 1942) | 7 October 1994 | 22 March 1996 | 1 year, 167 days | Social Democrats | – | Carlsson III |
| Ministers for Trade (1996–2002) |||||||||
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Term | Term | Term | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Took office | Left office | Duration | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| | | Björn von Sydow (born 1945) | 22 March 1996 | 31 January 1997 | 315 days | Social Democrats | – | Persson |
| | | Leif Pagrotsky (born 1951) | 1 February 1997 | 2002 | 5 years, 261 days | Social Democrats | – | Persson |
| Ministers for Industry, Employment and Communications (2002–2006) |||||||||
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Term | Term | Term | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Took office | Left office | Duration | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| | | Leif Pagrotsky (born 1951) | 21 October 2002 | 21 October 2004 | 2 years, 0 days | Social Democrats | – | Persson |
| | | Thomas Östros (born 1965) | 1 November 2004 | 6 October 2006 | 1 year, 339 days | Social Democrats | – | Persson |
| Ministers for Foreign Trade (2006–2014) |||||||||
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Term | Term | Term | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Took office | Left office | Duration | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| | | Maria Borelius (born 1960) | 6 October 2006 | 14 October 2006 | 8 days | Moderate | Alliance | Reinfeldt |
| | | Sten Tolgfors (born 1966) | 24 October 2006 | 12 September 2007 | 323 days | Moderate | Alliance | Reinfeldt |
| | | Ewa Björling (born 1961) | 12 September 2007 | 3 October 2014 | 7 years, 21 days | Moderate | Alliance | Reinfeldt |
| Ministers for Enterprise and Innovation (2014–2016) |||||||||
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Term | Term | Term | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Took office | Left office | Duration | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| | | Mikael Damberg (born 1971) | 3 October 2014 | 25 May 2016 | 1 year, 235 days | Social Democrats | S/SAP–MP | Löfven I |
| Ministers for Foreign Trade (2016–) |||||||||
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Term | Term | Term | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| Portrait | Portrait | Minister (Born-Died) | Took office | Left office | Duration | Political Party | Coalition | Cabinet |
| | | Ann Linde (born 1961) | 25 May 2016 | 10 September 2019 | 3 years, 108 days | Social Democrats | S/SAP–MP | Löfven I Löfven II |
| | | Anna Hallberg (born 1963) | 10 September 2019 | 18 October 2022 | 3 years, 38 days | Social Democrats | S/SAP–MP | Löfven II Löfven III Andersson |
| | | Johan Forssell (born 1979) | 18 October 2022 | 10 September 2024 | 1 year, 328 days | Moderate | M–KD–L | Kristersson |
| | | Benjamin Dousa (born 1992) | 10 September 2024 | Incumbent | 181 days | Moderate | M–KD–L | Kristersson |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Handelsminister was translated during the 20th century into Minister of Commerce and Industry; (BrE) President of the Board of Trade; (AmE) Secretary of Commerce; (also) Minister for Economic Affairs. During the 1990s and 2000s, the title Minister for Trade was in use.