Archive Site for State Department information prior to January 20, 2001. This site is not updated. The Department of State submitted this report to the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations and on Finance and to the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Ways and Means, on January 31, 1999.
Exports exclude Norwegian oil shipped to the U.S. from terminals overseas.
Offshore, Norway's remaining oil reserves will last for another 26 years at current extraction rates, while the equivalent figure for natural gas is 132 years. Energy-intensive industries such as metal processing and fertilizer production will remain prominent on the mainland due to the availability of abundant hydropower. Some constraints continue to limit Norway's economic flexibility and ability to maintain international competitiveness. Labor availability remains limited by Norway's small 4.4 million population and a restrictive immigration policy. Norway's inefficient agricultural sector survives largely through subsidies and protection from international competition.