Swiss businesses in China upbeat after record export year
According to a survey, 72% of Swiss business leaders in China expect “higher” or “substantially higher” sales of goods from Switzerland to China and Hong Kong in 2018 than in 2017, when exports reached a record CHF16.7 billion ($17.9 billion).
Just 5% of business leaders anticipated lower export figures this year, according to the preliminary results of the 2018 Swiss Business in China Survey, which were released Tuesday by Swiss Centers ChinaExternal link.
Full results from the survey of 108 Swiss and 440 Chinese business respondents will be published in March.
According to the Swiss Centers China press release, in 2017, Switzerland exported CHF16.7 billion worth of goods to China and Hong Kong, which is an increase of 13.8% on the previous year and represents a new record. China and Hong Kong bought CHF7.2 billion ($7.7 billion) worth of watches and precision instruments from the alpine nation in 2017, making China the largest world market for this category of Swiss products.
“While Swiss exports in 2017 to key markets such as Germany, Italy and France did not yet rebound to their pre-crisis 2008 levels, exports to China and Hong Kong grew by 66%” from 2008 to 2017, said Swiss Centers China co-founder Nicolas Musy.
After watches and precision instruments, the most important export sectors from Switzerland to China and Hong Kong in 2017 were pharmaceuticals and chemicals (+13% growth), as well as machinery (+12.8%)
Overall, China and Hong Kong represent the third biggest export market for Swiss products, behind Germany and the USA. China is by far the biggest Asian market for Swiss exports, with the volume of sales twice as high as to Japan and ten times higher than to India.
Various heads of state confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
Swiss study: insects mainly migrate at midday and dusk
This content was published on
A study led by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in canton Lucerne is helping to better understand the movement patterns of migratory insects.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
This content was published on
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
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.
Read more
More
Pharma remains king of Swiss exports
This content was published on
Swiss exports were further boosted by resurgence in demand from China that saw a 20% increase in value of goods sold. This has helped stabilise the Swiss watch industry that has suffered an alarming downturn since China cracked down on valuable watch gifts in an anti-corruption initiative launched in 2012. The value of Swiss watches…
This content was published on
The value of exports gained 3.8% on 2015 to reach CHF210.7 billion ($210.6 billion), according to the Federal Customs Administration. Imports also grew, but the trade surplus also notched a record of CHF37.5 billion. This compared to a -2.6% decline on Swiss exports in 2015 – the year the franc experienced massive volatility as it…
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.