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	<title>Currents</title>
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	<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents</link>
	<description>The Online Magazine of the Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce</description>
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		<title>SACC-USA Executive Forum- A Success!</title>
		<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/sacc-usa-executive-forum-a-success/</link>
		<comments>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/sacc-usa-executive-forum-a-success/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 22:12:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Currents Online</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sacc-usa.org/currents/?p=7818</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On April 25, a group of business executives from a variety of Swedish-American companies gathered at House of Sweden to network and discuss current policy issues with an impact on their business. The day featured a bevy of presentations and roundtable discussions revolving around Swedish-American business relations, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, how to unlock the full potential of trade between Sweden and the U.S. and the role the political climate of Washington, D.C. has in the international business arena. The Ambassador of Sweden to the United States, Jonas Hafström together with representatives from the Embassy of Sweden in the U.S. started the day by presenting results from the mapping project made in collaboration with SACC-USA. The importance of Swedish-American business relations was highlighted as well as what can further be done to stimulate trade and investments between the two markets. &#160; The day followed with different roundtable discussions on the topics mentioned above, as well as a luncheon with keynote speaker Mr. David Weiner, Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Europe, about how to unlock the full economic potential Across the Atlantic. A large number of interesting questions came up; followed by great discussions and the importance [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>375 Year of Trade &#8211; Royal Celebration of The Anniversary</title>
		<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/375-year-of-trade-royal-celebration-of-the-anniversary/</link>
		<comments>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/375-year-of-trade-royal-celebration-of-the-anniversary/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 22:09:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Currents Online</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sacc-usa.org/currents/?p=7841</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A week ago, Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden visited Philadelphia to participate in the 375th anniversary celebration of the landing of the Kalmar Nyckel, the ship that carried Swedish settlers to North America to establish the colony of New Sweden. As one part of the visit Their Majesties attended a business symposium with the theme “Making it in America,” hosted by the Swedish and Finnish embassies, American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia, and New Sweden Alliance with support from the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce Philadelphia. The visit ended on Saturday with a gala dinner at Case Center Willmington where King Carl XVI Gustaf held a great and telling speech. His Majesty highlighted the importance of trade between Sweden and America and reminded us on how this important relationship once started. Following are excerpts from the speech by His Majesty, King Carl XVI Gustaf: “Look behind the Greyhound bus, the Coca Cola bottle and the zipper and you will find Swedes. Famous American trademarks such as Walgreens, Nordstrom and Carlson Wagonlit Travel were founded by &#8211; you guessed it &#8211; Swedes.” ” It all started with trade. And trade will continue to be at the core of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/375-year-of-trade-royal-celebration-of-the-anniversary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Why Business Should Engage in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment</title>
		<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/why-business-should-engage-in-the-transatlantic-trade-and-investment/</link>
		<comments>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/why-business-should-engage-in-the-transatlantic-trade-and-investment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 22:06:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Currents Online</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sacc-usa.org/currents/?p=7821</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The new European co-chair of Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) Mr. Hans Stråberg, Director of Investor and former CEO of Electrolux, lead a roundtable discussion on TTIP organized by SACC Washington D.C. last week. The free trade agreement between EU and the U.S. called The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is moving forward and negotiations are projected to start in July. In this seminar Mr. Stråberg, together with Mr. Niklas Bergström from The Federation of Swedish Enterprise, shared his thoughts on why TTIP is so important for business and why the negotiations will have a much better chance to succeed this time. “Fiscal and monetary policies are about to be exhausted and trade remains a great opportunity. The US and EU together generate half of the world’s GDP and a third of the world’s trade of which 40% is intra-company trade. Mr Stråberg said we cannot afford to not do this; there is too much at stake: “We need jobs and growth; according to studies a transatlantic deal could generate GDP gains as much as 180 billion USD over a 5 year period if we just took away the tariffs! Even more important is to add to this the gains [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Unique Study of Swedish-American Economic and Business Ties Launched</title>
		<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/unique-study-of-swedish-american-economic-and-business-ties-launched/</link>
		<comments>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/unique-study-of-swedish-american-economic-and-business-ties-launched/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 22:05:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Currents Online</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sacc-usa.org/currents/?p=7830</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How many Americans work for Swedish-owned companies in the U.S.? How many Swedish-owned businesses are there in the United States? Where are they located? We have the answers for you. We are so very proud to share the booklet, &#8220;Swedish Companies Create Jobs in America &#8211; A look at Swedish economic and business ties with the U.S.&#8221; with you. This is the most comprehensive mapping of Swedish enterprises in the U.S. to date. &#8220;The Embassy is proud of the close collaboration with the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce. A good example of our joint efforts is the booklet on Swedish business interest in the USA. With the strong support of SACC-USA we have been able to make an extensive mapping of American jobs created by Swedish business interest. I salute the contributions made by SACC-USA.&#8221; says Jonas Hafström, Ambassador of Sweden to the U.S.. ”We have invested more than one year of our resources into this joint project with the Swedish Embassy. This type of data hasn’t been collected and presented like this ever before and we are very proud of the end result. Along  the way we have gained a lot of valuable knowledge which we can use in many settings when serving our members,” [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Launch of Business Alliance for TTIP</title>
		<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/launch-of-business-alliance-for-ttip/</link>
		<comments>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/launch-of-business-alliance-for-ttip/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 22:04:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Currents Online</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sacc-usa.org/currents/?p=7848</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[TBC is pleased to announce today’s launch of the Business Alliance for a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (BA/TTIP), in which TBC will participate along with Businesseurope, Eurochambers, the European Services Forum (ESF), the European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME), the Transatlantic Policy Network (TPN), the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU, AmChams in Europe and the US Chamber of Commerce (USC). TBC and its Alliance partners will work together to ensure the realization of a comprehensive transatlantic trade and investment agreement that will revive the economy and create jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. Read the full Press Release from TBC: http://sacc-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/2013-05-16-Joint-Press-release-on-Alliance-for-TTIP.pdf &#160;]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/launch-of-business-alliance-for-ttip/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Swedish Companies Create Jobs in America; Swedish-U.S. Business Mapping Project</title>
		<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/swedish-companies-create-jobs-in-america-swedish-u-s-business-booklet/</link>
		<comments>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/swedish-companies-create-jobs-in-america-swedish-u-s-business-booklet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2013 17:14:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Currents Online</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sacc-usa.org/currents/?p=7795</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the  Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce has conducted the most comprehensive mapping of Swedish enterprises in the US up to date. ”We have invested more than one year of our resources into this joint project with the Swedish Embassy. This data haven’t been collected and presented like this ever before and we are very proud of the end result. Along the way we have gained a lot of valuable knowledge which we can use in many settings when serving our members”, comments Therese Linde, President of SACC-USA. For more information regarding the findings in the booklet, or to order a printed version, please contact Therese Linde: therese.linde@sacc-usa.org. Following are excerpts from the press release by the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C.: Today, almost quarter of a million jobs in U.S. can be counted as a product of Swedish companies doing business with American counterparts. Swedish foreign investments, Swedish companies operating in the US and American exports to Sweden are all making large impact on the U.S. economy. “The booklet contributes to the vision of increased exports and trade promotion as declared by the Swedish Minister for Trade”, says Lennart Killander Larsson, Counselor [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/swedish-companies-create-jobs-in-america-swedish-u-s-business-booklet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>US Healthcare Reforms: Insights From a Company’s Perspective</title>
		<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/us-healthcare-reforms-insights-from-a-companys-perspective/</link>
		<comments>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/us-healthcare-reforms-insights-from-a-companys-perspective/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:49:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Currents Online</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sacc-usa.org/currents/?p=7736</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Affordable Care Act, also referred to as Obama Care, the healthcare reform bill signed into law by President Obama over three years ago, is well known in both the U.S. and Sweden.  An item of interest is the understanding of how this legislation is affecting companies in the healthcare arena.  Mikael Anden, president for Sectra North America, gives us insight during a recent discussion on the topic. “Sectra and other companies offering efficiency improvements to the healthcare industry are facing an increasingly brighter future”.  His encouraging remark makes us ponder if these reforms will also offer opportunity for Swedish companies? For a company such as Sectra, the focus of the healthcare industry will shift from a fee-for-service driven system to one of providing cost efficient care throughout the full treatment of a patient condition. Sectra, founded and headquartered in Sweden, has a corporate mission “to increase the effectiveness for healthcare while maintaining or increasing the quality of patient care”. Boasting the largest market share in PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) in Scandinavia provides Sectra the necessary understanding to compete in a government-driven healthcare market. The healthcare industry is constantly changing, influenced by political decisions and new innovations. For [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Swedish Life Science in the Front Line</title>
		<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/swedish-life-science-in-the-front-line/</link>
		<comments>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/swedish-life-science-in-the-front-line/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:49:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Our Guest Columnist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sacc-usa.org/currents/?p=7744</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The American market is one of the most important for the Swedish companies and many of our companies have a strong presence on the market.  As the economy recovers from the turbulence of the last few years, the healthcare market will grow continuously and the Swedish companies will most certainly be ready to offer their products, solutions and expertise. Swecare Foundation is a member organization and a platform for collaboration where all the key players in the Swedish healthcare system are working closely together. The Swedish government, county councils, universities, and the private sector are all working towards a common goal: creating better opportunities for Swedish ideas and products to reach their full potential. Swecare is the arena where the public sector meets the private sector’s companies and research institutions, playing a role as they work together to put Sweden on the map, act as a door opener and develop health care in other countries as well as in the home market. International comparisons place the Swedish health care system at the front of the pack. The country’s commitment to readily available medical resources has resulted in one of the healthiest populations in the world. Sweden is the home of [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>American-made VOLVO wheel loader ready for roadwork duty in the US</title>
		<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/american-made-volvo-wheel-loader-ready-for-roadwork-duty-in-the-us/</link>
		<comments>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/american-made-volvo-wheel-loader-ready-for-roadwork-duty-in-the-us/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:48:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Our Guest Columnist</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sacc-usa.org/currents/?p=7751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On March 21, 2013, at the newly expanded heavy equipment plant in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, the first American-made Volvo Wheel Loader rolled off the line.  Joining Volvo Construction Equipment President Pat Olney to cut the ribbon on the company&#8217;s Region Americas headquarters was Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez and Swedish Ambassador Jonas Hafström. The new wheel loader is exactly the kind of heavy equipment crews use in highway maintenance and upgrades across the United States. So, like all of us at DOT, Administrator Mendez is happy to see a roadwork-ready heavy loader made in America. The Administrator also pointed out, &#8220;I can&#8217;t wait to see the Made in America equipment you&#8217;re producing here being put to work on highway projects all across this great country!&#8221; Administrator Mendez continued to say that we are now in the middle of economic recovery as we work our way out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Unemployment is now at its lowest level in four years. Companies and Manufacturers are hiring, and investing in the future. Volvo&#8217;s 12,000 employees in six U.S. production facilities and its $100 million investment in its Shippensburg headquarters are a true sign of the company&#8217;s confidence in [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>What’s Going on with the Affordable Care Act</title>
		<link>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/whats-going-on-with-the-affordable-care-act/</link>
		<comments>http://sacc-usa.org/currents/business/whats-going-on-with-the-affordable-care-act/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:47:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sam Hoffman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sacc-usa.org/currents/?p=7763</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Although it has now been over three years since President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the healthcare overhaul that will be mostly implemented in 2014 and is widely referred to as “Obamacare,” many people and businesses are still in the dark over what the consequences of its implementation will be. Indeed, a recent survey by the non-partisan Kaiser Foundation showed that more than half of small business owners wrongly believe that they would be subject to a mandate requiring them to either provide insurance or pay a fine. On another question, 57 percent reported that they lack the adequate information to understand how exactly they will be affected. Further, when asked about each central individual provision in the bill, respondents overwhelmingly favored them, yet were subsequently found to be unaware that such provisions were actually included in the bill. The bad news out of this is that most companies and business owners are confused and unsure about the costs and benefits that the implementation Affordable Care will result in. The good news is that the picture has been getting clearer as the law’s full implementation approaches. Insurance Companies Recently, for example, a pair of insurance [...]]]></description>
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