Abstract Rolf Karlbom's article about Swedish iron ore exports to Germany during the Nazi era1 is an attempt to examine a very important problem as yet unsolved—the significance of the Swedish ore deliveries to Germany. His study begins with the following two questions:2 1. ‘How much of the total consumption of this raw material by German industry did Swedish ore cover during these years?’2. ‘How far was access to Swedish iron ore a sine qua non for the continuance of the armaments programme?’3. These basic questions indicate the main problems. Karlbom's answers to them are not wholly convincing because of some weaknesses in his approach.