Swedish companies are holding steady despite the uncertain global environment. This is shown by the spring Export Credit Barometer from Svensk Exportkredit, SEK.

Although the index has fallen from 30 in the autumn to just over 20, the barometer shows that confidence in the future remains stable.

It is noteworthy that there is a positive view of order intake, for example. This is particularly true for large companies, where four out of ten say that order volumes have increased in the last six months. Looking ahead, the majority of companies believe that demand will either remain unchanged or rise, despite increased trade policy risks and the introduction of additional tariffs in the US.

"The fact that Swedish export companies have unexpectedly positive expectations for export orders may be related to their identification of strong business opportunities in other markets – markets that to some extent balance the increased challenges in the US," says Magnus Montan, CEO of SEK.

At the same time, small companies are showing strength by continuing to plan for new recruitment.

"Last fall, we saw growing optimism among both small and large companies. Now the trend is more mixed. However, the fact that small companies still see a need for new recruitment is a sign of strength – it signals that the export industry still has growth ambitions, especially in sectors with strong global demand," says Montan.