Vessels arriving in Sweden had to pass through the "Great Sea Toll" where customs duties were paid.

In the case of the Little Toll, Swedes were forced to pay duty on goods they brought into towns to sell, an important source of income for the Swedish monarchy.

This was because the government was keen to encourage a textiles industry in Sweden and introduced customs duties and an import ban to prevent foreign cloth coming into the country.

Approximately 75 million travellers, ships, containers and vehicles cross Sweden's frontiers every year.

Alongside law enforcement there are many officers who work in the legal flow to ensure that customs duties and taxes are paid correctly and in time.

This work involves not only collecting duties but also the supervising of customs warehouses, special procedures, import or export licenses and authorisations necessary for the declared goods.

Furthermore, Swedish Customs have a role to help other authorities to collect certain information e.g. to produce trade statistics on import and export.