This was immensely important for the catching-up process in the 19th century, first by Sweden and later byFinland, and their subsequent growth and prosperity. As an example, at that time Finland had only three towns with staple rights that allowed the townspeople to export produce on their own ships directly to foreign ports.
This ‘Bothnian Trade Prohibition’ meant that Finnish west-coast merchants and those of Swedish Norrland were forced to transport and sell their produce in Stockholm before shipping abroad. The decadeslong struggle ended in 1765, as staple rights were granted to four towns in Ostrobothnia and two in Norrland, largely thanks to the work of Chydenius. This was essential for the rapid growth of those regions.