Selling Swiss cheese: ‘The main problem with the US today is uncertainty’

Philippe Bardet is the director of the Interprofession du Gruyère AOP trade association. He is now leaving this position after almost 30 years. Vera Leysinger / SWI swissinfo.ch

The planned hikes in customs duties are prompting United States importers of Swiss cheeses to adopt a wait-and-see approach, says Philippe Bardet, director of the trade association Interprofession du Gruyère.

The United States is the leading export market for Swiss Gruyère PDO (protected designation of origin). However, the increased tariffs facing all imports into the United States are driving producers to pursue diversification strategies. Two major markets – China and Russia – remain difficult to penetrate.

SWI swissinfo.ch visited the Maison du Gruyère show dairy to meet Philippe Bardet, the first director of the interbranch association, Interprofession du Gruyère AOP. He is now stepping down from this position, which he has held since 1997. We talk about the risks and challenges awaiting the sector and the brand.

SWI swissinfo.ch: US President Donald Trump has threatened additional tariffs on all imports to the United States. What would this mean for Swiss Gruyère PDO?

Philippe Bardet: Our strategy is to diversify our export markets. That said, the United States is such a vast country that, over the past 20 years, we have gone from 2,000 tonnes to over 4,000 tonnes a year – despite the rise in the Swiss franc and Americans’ phobia about the hygiene of raw-milk products.

Traditionally, customs duties on Gruyère PDO stood at 10%. In the near future, between 10% and 31% could be added. The main problem today is the uncertainty. As a result, US importers are adopting a wait-and-see approach.

If prices went up in the US, we don’t yet know what the impact on sales would be. As a high-end product consumed regularly but in small quantities in the United States, the damage could be limited – unless many Americans lose their jobs, as unemployment benefits in that country are low. It should also be remembered that Gruyère PDO sells for an average of CHF50 ($60) a kilo in the US, more than twice what it costs in Switzerland. 

“Our strategy is to diversify our export markets.” Vera Leysinger / SWI swissinfo.ch

SWI: Since 2023, the name “Gruyère” has been considered a generic term in the United States, meaning that a cheese can be so labelled no matter where it is made. Is this really a problem, given the strength of your brand and the specific taste of Gruyère PDO?

P.B.: It’s a huge problem, as it doesn’t just concern Gruyère PDO but potentially all comparable European food products, such as Parmesan, Parma ham and Cognac. This US court decision makes our products less exclusive and, in the long term, we could face the same difficulties as Swiss Emmental. What’s more, under the guise of free trade, the United States is trying to sway Latin America, Canada and perhaps even Australia to follow suit.

SWI: Your aim is to diversify your exports. What are the major growth opportunities internationally? What about China and Russia?

P.B.: More than half of the 30,000 tonnes of Gruyère cheese produced annually are consumed in Switzerland. Around 7,000 tonnes are consumed in the European Union and 4,000 tonnes in the United States. Our strategy is to strengthen our position in foreign markets where we already have a strong presence, rather than conquering new markets. In Europe, our market share [by volume] is a mere 0.2%. The growth potential is therefore enormous, especially in Northern Europe.

In China, we conducted numerous trials that were inconclusive, as Gruyère PDO does not fit in with Chinese culinary tradition. We invested heavily in Russia and the results were promising, but this market has become much trickier since the war in Ukraine.

SWI: There are around 700 different varieties of cheese in Switzerland, some ten of which officially bear the PDO labelExternal link. How do you explain the fact that Gruyère PDO is the best-known, most consumed and most exported cheese?

P.B.: This is due to the recognition earned over centuries and, more recently, the desire to promote quality and craftsmanship thanks to strict specificationsExternal link that must be rigorously observed by all those involved in the sector. This stringent framework has helped guarantee a specific taste, which is appreciated not only by end consumers but also by intermediary buyers, such as distributors, importers and wholesalers.

Consumers also appreciate the connection between our cheese and our region. Lastly, our specifications include a “grading” [assessment] system: only cheeses that obtain a minimum number of points may be marketed as Gruyère PDO.

Impressions of the meeting room where the interview took place. Vera Leysinger / SWI swissinfo.ch

SWI: A total of 31 appeals were lodged by cheesemakers against the grading board in 2024. How do you explain this?

P.B.: We carry out 2,000 gradings a year. This represents a real quality control by a neutral board. The cheeses are graded out of 20 points, and the cheesemakers have to obtain at least 18 points to be able to market their Gruyère PDO without restriction; this is the case in around 95% of cases.

With a score of between 16.5 and 18 points, the cheese can be sold in grated form, for instance for fondue. Below 16.5 points, it can only be sold as generic, unbranded cheese. Between the first and third categories, the price varies by a factor of two. The stakes are therefore high. This explains the appeals, which are then handled by a new board. In addition, thanks to this grading, we establish a ranking that stimulates positive competition among cheesemakers.

SWI: There are four official types of Gruyère PDO: Gruyère PDO, Gruyère PDO Réserve, Gruyère PDO Bio [organic] and Gruyère PDO Alpage. In the shops, however, we can see many additional descriptions, such as “semi-salty”.

P.B: The question of additional descriptions sparked much debate during the drafting of the specifications, and we were unable to reach a consensus. I believe it makes sense to leave some leeway to retailers, even if I find that descriptions such as “salty” or “semi-salty” are not ideal, as they don’t truly reflect the reality. What is more, the presence of salt can be a sensitive subject.

SWI: Why do you object to the Nutri-Score rating system, which divides foods into five categories depending on their nutritional quality?

P.B.: With the colour system – as used, for example, to rate the CO2 emissions of cars – green has a positive connotation and red a negative one. A car manufacturer can always produce electric cars to achieve green status. But our cheesemakers have to follow precise specifications, and therefore Gruyère PDO will always be rated orange, or even red, by Nutri-Score.

The Nutri-Score system is also too simplistic. Ideally, it would be better to define a daily intake of salt or fat appropriate for each individual. For most consumers, eating the usual amounts of Gruyère PDO (an average of around 3kg a year in Switzerland) poses no problem. What’s more, Gruyère PDO does not contain lactose, a fact that is not brought out by the Nutri-Score.

“The historical roots of the production area are a key asset in guaranteeing the quality and image of Gruyère PDO, and this must in no way be compromised, not even slightly.” Vera Leysinger / SWI swissinfo.ch

SWI: Today, Gruyère PDO is produced not only in the Gruyère region, but also in other precisely defined parts of Western Switzerland. Could this area be modified?

P.B.: Under no circumstances, not even for economic or industrial reasons, whether to increase or reduce supply. The historical roots of the production area are a key asset in guaranteeing the quality and image of Gruyère PDO, and this must in no way be compromised, not even slightly. This has also been upheld by the Swiss Federal Court.

SWI: The Gruyère PDO sector comprises 1,700 milk producers, 160 cheese dairies, 61 alpine cheesemakers and 11 cheese ripeners. Are newcomers, including large Swiss or foreign groups, allowed to join?

P.B.: Our interbranch association is not a closed club. New players can join, provided that they comply with the specificationsExternal link and the guideExternal link to best practices. It is very important to be strict on this. Without this rigour, we could suffer the same fate as Swiss Emmental, which does not stand out enough in taste from cheaper, foreign Emmental. Production of Swiss Emmental has thus dropped from 45,000 tonnes in the early 2000s to 13,000 tonnes today, and many cheese dairies in our production area have gone over from making Emmental to Gruyère PDO. In practical terms, our interbranch organisation checks the capacities of new players, in particular their facilities, and makes sure that any increase in supply comes about gradually.

Some cheese ripeners belong to large Swiss groups such as Emmi and Migros. In theory, these groups could also be foreign, but none of them are at present; and it’s probably better that way, to guarantee the local character of Gruyère PDO. I also think these large foreign groups prefer to market already manufactured products, rather than producing them themselves, as this can involve a lot of risks and problems.

SWI: Who takes care of marketing Gruyère PDO abroad?

P.B.: Switzerland Cheese MarketingExternal link [a non-profit organisation that is active internationally as a competence centre for cheeses from Switzerland] promotes – but does not sell – Swiss cheese around the world. Our interbranch organisation is responsible for promoting Gruyère, sometimes with the support of federal funding. It is above all the ripeners that sell Gruyère PDO, mainly to importers or wholesalers or directly to large retail chains.

SWI: Do you regard the Swiss Abroad as informal ambassadors?

P.B.: In a way yes, as they are likely to offer our products to their friends abroad. More generally, though, our informal ambassadors abroad are all those who are passionate about our products.

The view through a window in the entrance hall in the Maison du Gruyère. Vera Leysinger / SWI swissinfo.ch

SWI: Your specifications and best practices guide are very detailed documents that are publicly accessible. Is there a risk of helping potential competitors abroad?

P.B.: I don’t think so. Producing Gruyère PDO requires hands-on expertise that cannot be found in these documents. A foreign entrepreneur might be able to hire a few Swiss specialists but would be unable to create a brand as strong as ours, which is deeply rooted in a historical production region. The unsuccessful attempt to relocate the entire production of Toblerone to Slovakia clearly demonstrates the importance to consumers of the historic production site.

SWI: Swiss law, in particular the PDO/PGI (protected geographical indication) ordinanceExternal link, applies in Switzerland. How does this protect you abroad?

P.B.: Our agreements with the EU and the United Kingdom ensure mutual recognition of PDO. We have specific agreements with some other countries, sometimes as part of free trade agreements. But there are other countries with which we have no agreement at all, which complicates matters.  

SWI: To ensure traceability and fight counterfeits, for the past decade cheeses such as Emmental and Appenzeller have been using “tracer cultures” – that is, lactic acid bacteria that act as markers to certify the origin. What about Gruyère PDO?

P.B.: We have long wanted to use these tracer cultures, but it is technically very complex, as Gruyère PDO is a natural product, without any additives. We are gradually getting there, though, and expect to start using these tracer cultures in 2027 or 2028.

Edited by Virginie Mangin. Translated from French by Julia Bassam/gw

Additional reporting by Anand Chandrasekhar