The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

US Treasury discusses sanctions with Swiss commodity stakeholders

ship
A container ship awaits the unloading of its cargo after berthing at a port in Pacific port-city Vladivostok, Russia, 05 September 2022. Keystone / Yuri Kochetkov

The discussions on sanctions against Russia touched on technical aspects, as part of the multi-stage exchanges that the US Treasury Department is conducting with its trading partners in several European countries.

The meeting described as “useful for all parties” took place in Geneva on Monday between the Swiss commodities trading sector, representatives of the US Treasury and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). 

It was a working meeting which focused on commodities trading and energy supplies for Europe over the next 18 months. The US embassy in Bern was also represented. The meeting took place against a backdrop of US criticism of Swiss implementation of sanctions against Russia.

The aim is to assess the situation on the commodities market in relation to energy supply and overall security of supply. The impact of sanctions against Russia on the commodities trading sector was also discussed.

The future of trading, oil price caps and food security were also discussed. The Swiss commodities sector was represented by Suissenégoce that represents the interests of trading companies, as well as transporters, banks, insurance companies and specialist service providers.

Switzerland is a key global platform for commodities trading. The sector contributes 4% of Switzerland’s GDP and employs 35,000 people, according to Suissenégoce.

In May the government stated that the war in Ukraine had profoundly disrupted commodities trading in the energy and food sectors. Swiss traders have been affected by the international sanctions imposed as a result of the war.

Popular Stories

News

A code of conduct for collecting signatures

More

Swiss democracy

Switzerland to introduce code of conduct for collecting referendum signatures

This content was published on Commercial collectors of signatures for initiatives and referendums could be given a legally non-binding code of conduct. This proposal comes from the Federal Chancellery following the discovery of thousands of falsified signatures.

Read more: Switzerland to introduce code of conduct for collecting referendum signatures
Blatten in Valais to be rebuilt in four years

More

Swiss Politics

Destroyed Swiss village of Blatten to be rebuilt within four years

This content was published on After the devastating landslide, Blatten in Valais should be standing again by 2029. Municipal president Matthias Bellwald confirmed the corresponding plans to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Wednesday, which he had presented at a municipal meeting the previous evening.

Read more: Destroyed Swiss village of Blatten to be rebuilt within four years

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR