The Riksdag passed a maritime policy decision (Government Bill 1996/97:1) in December 1996 which calls for the government to create sustainability and reasonable competititive conditions for Swedish merchant shipping. The decision stipulates the following objectives for a business-oriented maritime policy. 

• The state should take advantage in various ways of the export opportunities inherent in shipping as an export business in order to strengthen the balance of payments.
  
  
• The Swedish merchant fleet must be ensured reasonable competitive conditions.

Through the resolution by the Riksdag taken in autumn 2001 in response to (Government Bill 2000/01:127) “Maritime Support,” the previous support was expanded to include ferry operations and deepened so that support now corresponds to taxes and all social insurance fees levied on income earned at sea by seafarers working on vessels registered in Sweden. The purpose of this support is to provide the Swedish shipping business with competitive conditions equivalent to the merchant fleets of other EU countries.

The Government appointed a committee of inquiry on tonnage tax in the shipping sector on 25 November 2004, whose report has been presented in March 2006. The purpose of tonnage tax is to support shipping-related business in Member States and induce shipping companies to re-register their vessels under their national flags. On April 1 2009 the swedish infrastructure minister announced that no tonnage tax will be introduced during the present term of office.