Ramping up trade tensions is not in Switzerland’s interest, the government said.
In its communication on Thursday, the Federal Council also fears that countermeasures on the part of Switzerland would be associated with costs for the Swiss economy. In particular, imports from the US would become more expensive.
More
More
Trump slaps 31% tariff on Swiss goods
This content was published on
United States President Donald Trump announces tariffs of 31% on imported goods from Switzerland.
According to US policy, all Swiss goods exports would be subject to 31 or 32% customs duties when imported into the US. Compared to other US trading partners with a similar economy, Switzerland would thus be faced with particularly high additional tariffs.
Swiss exports are expected to be subject to additional tariffs of 10% from Saturday (5 April) and a further 21% from Wednesday (9 April). “The calculations of the US government are not comprehensible to the Federal Council,” the statement said.
More
More
What is a tariff? A quick guide
This content was published on
Tariffs play a key role in US President Donald Trump’s economic strategy and diplomatic moves. But who truly benefits, and who pays the price?
According to the Federal Council, important export products such as machinery, watches and agricultural goods such as coffee capsules, energy drinks, cheese and chocolate will be affected by the additional tariffs. However, no additional tariffs are currently planned for exports from the pharmaceutical industry.
The Federal Council now wants to analyse the measures announced by US President Donald Trump and their impact on Switzerland in greater depth. It is in contact with the affected industries and the US authorities.
What is your opinion? Join the debate:
External Content
Translated from German with DeepL/mga
How we work
We select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate them into English. A journalist then briefly reviews the translation for clarity and accuracy before publication. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. The news stories we select have been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team.
Did you find this explanation helpful? Please fill out the short survey on this page to help us understand your needs.
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
Ex-sect member sentenced in Zurich for sexual abuse
This content was published on
Zurich District Court has sentenced a former member of the globally active sect "Children of God" to a partial prison sentence.
SNB chairman does not rule out slowdown in Swiss growth
This content was published on
Martin Schlegel, chairman of the Swiss National Bank (SNB), does not rule out a weakening of the Swiss economy in light of the tariff dispute.
Swiss NGOs abroad to receive 10% less federal funding
This content was published on
In 2025 and 2026, Swiss NGOs will have 10% less federal funding available for international cooperation than in the previous two-year period.
Swiss parties spent less than CHF1 million on February green vote
This content was published on
Swiss political parties spent CHF 700,000 ($840,000) on campaigns in the run-up to the overwhelmingly defeated vote on February 9, according to the Swiss Federal Audit Office.
This content was published on
Swisswool, the largest Swiss wool processor, is not accepting any wool for the first time this spring. For many sheep farmers, the only option is to get rid of the wool.
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.