it is a tool of agricultural and public health policy. The Norwegian government wants to maintain domestic food production and discourage heavy drinking. By limiting how much tax-free alcohol you can bring in, they hope to capture tax revenue on any consumption above the quota. If there were no quota, many Norwegians would simply drive to Sweden to buy all their alcohol, collapsing the Norwegian state’s Vinmonopolet (wine monopoly) system.
The Sweden-to-Norway quota is a political fossil. With the Norwegian krone weakening against the Swedish krona in recent years, the price advantage has shrunk, making the quota less critical. Furthermore, the EU is constantly pressuring Norway to harmonize its rules, while Norwegian health authorities want to lower the alcohol quotas. Yet, any politician who tries to significantly reduce the quota faces the wrath of voters in the southern and eastern regions of Norway, where the Swedish border is a lifeline to affordable goods. hva er kvoten fra sverige til norge