Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Page 157
INTER-NORTHERN COMMERCE
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the natural resources of the three countries thus forming the basis
of an exchange which supplemented their natural deficiencies,
and which was of great value to them.
During the present time obstacles are again being placed in
the way of international trade, not by wars and blockades this
time, but by tariffs, exchange restrictions, quota systems, etc. The
question then naturally presents itself: can the inter-Northern
trade again be brought to assume an increased importance in these
circumstances? Has not the moment come for economic co-oper-
ation, or possibly some form of customs union, between the
Northern States?
Before attempting to answer these questions it will be well
to bear in mind that the present situation is entirely different
from that with which the North was faced during the Great War.
Then there was a general scarcity of goods, and everybody
wanted to buy. Now just the opposite is the case: everybody
wants to sell. The difficulty now is to keep up a remunerative
export trade in order to obtain the wherewithal to pay for im-
ports. From the Danish point of view the problem consequently
resolves itself into the question what markets can be found for
the sale of Danish goods in the other Northern countries, rather
than what goods Denmark can buy from them. Swedish and Fin-
nish wood, wood pulp, and paper, Swedish iron, and Norwegian
nitre and whale and fish oil already have a market in Denmark,
but which of our products do Sweden, Norway, and Finland
want?
An examination of the statistics of the present exports of
Danish goods of domestic origin to Sweden shows with sufficient
clearness that this trade is only to a very slight extent based on
Danish raw materials. It consists chiefly of goods manufactured
in Denmark from foreign raw materials or semi-manufactures.
Vegetable oils, soy meal, and oil cake form a considerable
part of this trade — nearly 20 per cent. in 19.36. Another im-
portant item is motor cars, which are assembled in Denmark from
imported parts. In 1936 this constituted about 17 per cent. of our
total exports of so-called domestic products to Sweden. Several
other articles wholly or partly manufactured from imported raw
materials or semi-manufactures figure on the list, whereas agri-
cultural produce plays a quite insignificant part among Danish
exports to Sweden: in 1936 only 4 per cent. of our exports of
goods of Danish origin to Sweden consisted of agricultural and