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Swedish American Chambers of Commerce
E-Currents
February 2024
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This newsletter contains news, updates and relevant information from the Swedish American Chambers of Commerce Inc. | |
WORD FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | |
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We hope that this edition of e-Currents finds you well despite the rather bleak geopolitical outlook. At SACC-USA with others we look ahead and explore several aspects of the Transatlantic relation at the upcoming Transatlantic Day. It’s a propitious moment in Transatlantic relations with a new Swedish export and trade strategy; a faster evolving NATO membership application, and elections in the US (and elsewhere, 64 around the world scheduled or expected in 2024). The February edition of e-Currents too addresses these occurrences. The nexus of occurrences also makes for an opportune time for SACC-USA to reopen a presence in Sweden, more on this in next editions of e-Currents.
On Wednesday the Federal Reserve FOMC holds its monthly meeting. The US central bank is expected to keep interest rates on hold. Policymakers continue discussing when to start cuts which are likely to happen in the first half of 2024 so as not to be hijacked by election campaigns and perceived to favor any one side. At the World Economic Forum, David Rubenstein predicted three Fed rate cuts or more in the first quarter or half of the year.
We look forward to welcoming participants to our annual Transatlantic Day at Svenskt Näringsliv on March 18. We have the honor to be guested by our Patron Prince Daniel and by our Board Director Member Jacob Wallenberg along with an impressive line-up of speakers. A limited number of sponsor slots remain which you can contact me on at karin.hammar@sacc-usa.org.
Be well,
Karin
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A new economic conditions slide deck from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Economic Policy Division
The chief economist of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Curtis Dubay, introduces in January 2024 a new slide deck regarding current economic conditions. In the presentation he summarizes these conditions under topics such as inflation, interest rates and the job market, all with accompanying visual data and graphs.
Click here to view the slide deck, and here to read more about what to expect from the economy in 2024.
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How close is Sweden to joining NATO?
Experts of the think tank Atlantic Council comment on the development of Sweden's NATO membership in a new post. Among them is Anna Wieslander, the director for Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council and chair of the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) in Stockholm. She discusses whether Hungary will follow Turkey's lead in approving Sweden's accession.
If you're interested to read the experts take on the situation, click here.
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"Trumps USA vänder sig inåt" | |
Janerik Larsson is a Swedish journalist, author, and consultant. He has been awarded the Swedish Pulitzer Prize for Journalism and was a Professional Journalism Fellow at Stanford University. He has previously been Deputy CEO of Kinnevik and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and played a crucial role in Sweden's entry into the EU. He is a former board member of Timbro, a pro-market think tank. Since the fall of 2010, he is a senior consultant at Prime PR and works as an advisor to Free Enterprise Foundation. He has published more than 20 books, most of them on political, social and economics topics | |
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The following chronicle is in Swedish
Om Trump vinner presidentvalet i USA kommer det att ställa mycket höga krav på oss i EU, skriver krönikören Janerik Larsson.
Att det efter ett århundrade med två världskrig, miljontals döda och ett storkrig mitt i Europa – det första efter 1945 – ter det sig något sällsamt att ordet ”krig” rör upp så starka känslor.
Om man följer Finlands historia – med ett inbördeskrig och de två faserna av Sovjets krig mot Finland under andra världskriget – måste den svenska debatten te sig än mera förunderlig.
Häromdagen satt jag på ett SAS-plan till Miami och passade på att se om Clint Eastwoods klassiker ”American Sniper” från 2015. Jag åker över Atlanten några gånger varje år och eftersom SAS inte byter sina filmer så ofta har jag flera gånger sett om filmen om Chris Kyle, skarpskytten som dödat fler motståndare än någon annan amerikansk soldat.
Den är också sevärd på grund av Bradley Coopers gestaltning av Chris Kyle.
Filmen utspelas efter 9/11 då patrioten Kyle som 1999 anmält sig som frivillig som Navy Seal och sedan tjänstgör i Irak. Han ställer upp för sitt land – och han återkommer gång på gång till att han tjänstgör för att slåss för president och fosterland.
Det är en fascinerande historia som filmen berättar. Den skildras också i två böcker.
Den första är hans självbiografi: American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History (2012). Den andra American Gun: A History of the U.S. in Ten Firearms är en uppföljare.
Det för mig fängslande är hur detta perspektiv – krigets roll för nationen – idag ter sig så bortglömt i ett USA som efter uttåget från Kabul inte ens tycks vilja minnas detta.
Vi i Sverige ska vara medvetna om att detta kan få konsekvenser.
Medvetna om hur den konservativa opinionen anförd av Donald Trump vänder sig mot insatsen till Ukrainas försvar och hur svårt president Joe Biden har att få det stöd han kräver. Trumps USA vänder sig inåt.
Kommer USA lämna NATO om Trump åter blir president? Det är frågan som ställs allt oftare ju närmare vi kommer presidentvalet i november.
Oavsett just frågan om NATO så pekar mycket på att ett sådant valresultat kommer att ställa mycket höga krav på oss i EU.
Visst finns det fortsatt i USA en viss opinion för landets roll i världen sådan den sett ut sedan andra världskriget.
Men opinionssvängningen är inte desto mindre oerhört stor – och betydelsefull även för Sverige. Ett land som inte varit i krig sedan vi förlorade Finland till Ryssland 1809.
Ryssland finns kvar – och hotet.
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SACC-DC Annual meeting
SACC-DC held their annual meeting at House of Sweden in Washington, D.C. Members of the board, members of SACC-DC as well as Young Professionals members was welcomed to a mingle beforehand. The Swedish Ambassador in the U.S, Urban Ahlin, was also present. SACC-DC and SACC-USA are grateful that he opened the meeting and shared his insightful words.
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Mingling at House of Sweden | |
Kanelbullar from Kristina Swede Treats. | |
Volvo Car Sverige: Sponsor of Transatlantic Day 2024
SACC-USA is proud to have Volvo Car Sverige as a sponsor of the 2024 edition of our event Transatlantic Day. The event takes place on the 18th of March in Stockholm, Sweden and will highlight the business ties and over 400 years of friendship between Sweden and the United States. Through successfully expanding to the U.S. market in the 1950s, Volvo Cars is an example of how opportunities are created through bilateral relationships.
Volvo Cars reports new global sales record for 2023. After Q4, their revenue was 17 billion SEK before taxes.
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EXECUTIVE FORUM 2024
THE FUTURE IS NOW - NAVIGATING THE TWIN TRANSITION
We find ourselves in an era marked by two pivotal transitions: the green transition and the digital transition. These twin transitions bring both challenges and opportunities, and the 2024 Executive Forum will explore how to navigate the intricate landscape of sustainability, digitalization, and their interplay in the business world across different verticals. The future is no longer on the horizon; the Future is Now.
Secure your spot here!
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SACC-USA Business Award 2024
We are excited to announce that the SACC-USA Business Award is back for its 2024 edition! This prestigious award celebrates the exceptional achievements of Swedish companies operating in the United States. It is an honor that provides valuable recognition, visibility, and an estimated value of up to $20,000 for the winning company.
Nominations can be made through the SACC-USA website, where you can nominate a company and find detailed criteria and additional information.
The deadline for nominations is April 8, 2024
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GoWest
When? February 7-8
Where? Eriksbergshallen, Gothenburg, Sweden
GoWest is one of the Nordic's premier venture capital forums for startups, scale-ups, and investors in pre-seed to series A stages. Capturing West Sweden's industrial legacy and emerging status as a leading deep-tech hub, GoWest brings together companies reshaping industries, global investors, and the Nordic innovation ecosystem in a multi-day matchmaking conference. Take part in side-events, onstage live pitches, fireside chats, panels and talk within deep tech, climate and impact.
Read about the event here!
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10% OFF
your ticket purchase
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Be sure to enter code
[GoWest-24] at checkout to save!
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It's time to say goodbye to the interns of fall 2023
As the year gradually reaches its conclusion, the moment arrives for the SACC Interns of 2023 to wrap up their experiences and activities. We wish them the best of luck in the future and thank them for their work!
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Meet the new interns of spring 2024 | |
In January we welcomed our new interns for spring 2024. They're really excited to work with us at SACC-USA for the following 6 months. Below you'll find a short introduction of them. | |
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Axel Wachtmeister
Axel takes on the role as our new Event & Communications intern. He is born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, and has after some years of working as a credit advisor moved to Uppsala to study. At Uppsala University, his topic of education is political science and history. Through communicating with companies and other operators, Axel will be a key facilitator for our flagship events coming up this spring, like Executive Forum.
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Ella Eklund
Ella is the new Marketing & Communications intern. She grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, but has spent the last couple of years living in Uppsala. Ella recently graduated from Uppsala University with a bachelor's degree in human resources and sociology. Apart from people and their function in organizations, she also has an interest in marketing and social media and looks forward to applying and enhance her skills in that area.
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Perya Khezri
Perya is the new Business Development & Marketing intern. She's from Växjö, Sweden, and moved to Lund to pursue her studies. Her field of study is business and economics, and she'll graduate from Lund University upon returning to Sweden. Perya plays a valuable role for the internal communication between SACC-USA and our regional chambers and will leverage her knowledge in her different tasks.
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Siri Carlsson
Siri is our new Talent Mobility Outreach intern. She grew up in Malmö, Sweden and has spent the last couple of years studying at Lund University. Siri is educated in human resources and labor law, and is here with us for her last semester before graduation. Her education, together with multiple years of work experience in the field, makes her well-equipped of helping to develop our Talent Mobility Outreach Program, something she's excited about!
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Welcome to the team Axel, Ella, Perya and Siri! | |
SOME OF OUR UPCOMING EVENTS & PODCASTS | |
TALENT MOBILITY
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What are the interns writing? | | |
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Interview with Chairman Elect SACC-USA, Per Cedergren | |
..." The strength lies in the pedagogy, constructing exercises where individuals realize how they act—both positively and less so—and then train to act even smarter."
Read the interview here
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Interview with Ginna Lindberg, Foreign Correspondent Washington D.C and founder of the podcast "USApodden" | |
..." I have always been fascinated by the U.S because Sweden is influenced by the U.S in so many ways. We are entirely influenced by the U.S. in terms of popular culture, movies, series, music, and politics. U.S politics affect us, and so does U.S. foreign policy."
Read the interview here
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What are the interns reading | |
In this month's installment of E-Currents, we bring you a curated selection of books. Delve into the recommendations by SACC-USA trainees and savor the timeless classics or embark on a delightful journey exploring new literary gems. | |
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Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022)
This book follows Elisabeth Zott, a scientist in the 1960’s America. Despite her success in science and research she ends up in a TV studio kitchen, where she decides to teach American women how to cook with the help of science. Her TV show, Supper at Six, quickly becomes one of the country’s most popular TV shows. By watching Supper at six, women do not only get to learn about cooking and science but also about independence and equality. Lessons in Chemistry is a story about motherhood, inequalities, sorrow and love.
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Moel the Mole by Jakob Wennerqvist (2023)
Moel the Mole is an interactive book geared towards kids aged 4-8 years. Through combining a fun and adventurous story with multiple eye exercises, the book provides a playful way to gauge your little ones’ eyes and ensure their visual health. Moel the Moel is the result of the author’s Jakob Wennerqvist, member of SACC-Chicago Young Professionals, desire to address the challenges that come with visual problems. Thereto, engaging with the book helps to identify possible eye deficiencies whilst also having fun. A great initiative in our opinion!
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Thank you for reading our February Newsletter! | |
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You can find our previous newsletters here
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