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Swiss arms industry bemoans shifting conditions

Arms export and re-export: Swiss industry dissatisfied with legal framework
Arms export and re-export: Swiss industry dissatisfied with legal framework Keystone-SDA

The Swiss armaments industry is unhappy with a planned revision of rules governing the export and re-export of war materiels.

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Matthias Zoller, Secretary General of Swiss ASD, Swissmem’s sector for defence and security technology and the aerospace industry, fears Switzerland could be left out in the cold as Europe closes ranks.

He paints a bleak picture of redundancies, short-time working and relocations.

+ Trump shock pushes neutral Switzerland to defence pacts

He also fears that Swiss companies will receive nothing from the €800 billion invested by the European Union to strengthen its defence in the face of the Unites States foreign policy u-turn.

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In an interview published in La Liberté on Thursday, he points the finger at the Swiss legal framework, which makes Switzerland “an uncertain partner in these uncertain times”.

This is despite the changes currently being approved by the Swiss parliament, aimed precisely at supporting the arms industry. Zoller is calling for more to be done.

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