Nordic Countries in June 2026: the most important developments in economy
In the Nordic countries in June 2026, the most widely reported economic story was Norway's plan to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. The proposed legislation, reported on June 19, would prohibit Norwegian businesses from trading with settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Norway was also in the news for oil and gas. Workers and industry reached a deal on June 5 that averted an offshore strike, after wage talks had collapsed and about 8% of oil workers had threatened to walk out. Norway pitched its Arctic resources to the EU as a contribution to energy security, moved to extend the life of the Johan Sverdrup field, and Equinor approved a $412 million subsea development to raise output at Troll. Norway's central bank held its key rate steady while signaling another increase later in the year, and Norsk Hydro said it would close two US plants, cutting 350 jobs.
Nuclear power and industrial energy projects ran across the region. Sweden introduced a new financing model for nuclear plants and opened a $47 billion nuclear fund, and Rolls-Royce secured a deal to build small reactors for Sweden. Finland lifted its decades-long ban on nuclear energy and prepared to bury spent nuclear fuel underground. Swedish miner LKAB received a permit for a fossil-free sponge iron plant, and Sweden granted a 25-year concession for a heavy rare earth deposit. Estonia planned new power links to Finland and Latvia by 2040.
Company and market news was mixed. Ericsson's chief executive Börje Ekholm is stepping down, with Patrik Narvinger named successor. Private equity firm EQT bought Exolaunch, a Berlin-based launch partner of SpaceX. Nokia planned more job cuts in France. The US barred Polestar from selling its new electric vehicles, citing national security concerns, and the company said it was being forced to end US sales. Maersk raised its profit forecast. Denmark's central bank raised interest rates, the Riksbank flagged a possible increase, and Denmark's new government planned to cut the corporate tax rate.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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