Public Support of Export Activities in Welfare States (The Record of North European States)

The policy of economic moderrnization in the Russian Federation makes the improvement of domestic producers competitiveness and the growth of Russian non-primary exports an important and challenging issue.

Different countries face such problems. North European countries are among them. Having relatively small population and small domestic markets these contries pay greate attention to external economic activity support and extension of their sales volumes. Flexible external economic policy formes the basis of economic growth in the North European countries. It enables a sparsely populated and infertile region to find its niches in global production chains and new sales markets.

A number of economic shocks, affecting these countries during 1970’s (crisis of overproduction and "Oil Shocks" 1973-1975), early 1990’s. (the crisis of the European monetary system, the domestic demand reduction and the decline of the trade and economic ties with the Soviet Union) encouraged establishment of an economic planning system which could provide rapid response to economic turbulence. Large-scale reforms were carried out. They provided an attractive investment environment increasing the efficiency of labor and engaging professional workforce. These reforms affected all economy sectors and spheres of social policy, inspiring innovations and boostering growth in the technologically prospective economy sectors. The factors improving Nordic countries competitiveness are mastering new technologies, high educational level of the workforce and the ease of doing business.

During the financial crisis of the late 2000’s the decreasing external economic activity could not be compensated by the growth of domestic sales. One of the basic reasons for that was a relatively small population. To improve the investment climate Governments of the Nordic courtiers implemented a number of industrial policy reforms for supporting export.

The Nordic countries formed the system of the governmental support in order to booster international cooperation and exports, which provided not only the increase of number of exporters, but also qualitative changes in the export structure.

This article examines the Nordic countries ongoing initiatives for foreign  economic  activity  support through the state bodies and diplomatic missions.