"Nine out of ten goods exported to and imported into Sweden are transported by sea. Sweden's basic industry is highly dependent on shipping, which operates year-round regardless of the weather. Icebreaking should be treated like winter road maintenance on land," says Erik Eklund, the agency's director general, in a press release.
Icebreaking is not financed by taxes but is paid for by shipping via fairway fees. On average, the cost is just over 400 million kronor per year, but it can be several hundred million higher during a severe ice winter.
The Swedish Maritime Administration has warned several times before about a difficult economic situation, and the forecast is now "gloomy, with empty coffers at the end of 2028".
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