The Ministry of Finance in Sweden is considering placing a new tonnage levy on shipping. It would be calculated agains ship capacity and cargo departing Swedish ports. The shipowners’ association in Sweden has been lobbying the government for tax reform for several years.
They argue that Sweden’s merchant fleet has been reduced because there is no tax scheme to encourage capital investment in shipping. A large part of the merchant fleet has re-flagged to countries close by such as Finland and Estonia, since 2005.
The Finance Minister said that tonnage tax needs to be analysed in a much broader perspective, and that other forms of aid for the hipping industry should be researched.