Swiss Trade Diplomat Took Three US Trips as Tariff Talks Pick Up

(Bloomberg) — Switzerland’s top trade diplomat made three trips to Washington since outsized US tariffs came into effect in August as Bern attempts to negotiate a lower rate.

Helene Budliger Artieda, who leads the technical negotiations on the Swiss side, traveled to the US capital Sept. 2-4, Oct. 16-17 and Oct. 20-22, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs in Bern. Budliger leads the agency, commonly known as SECO, which is in charge of trade deals. The diplomat also accompanied Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter on her trip to Washington in August, the authority said.

“There’s a lot going on behind the scenes,” a spokesperson for SECO said in an email. Negotiations are ongoing, the person added, declining to share further details “for tactical reasons.”

Switzerland currently faces the highest US tariffs among developed nations, with a 39% surcharge applied to many of its exports. The country has made a new offer for a trade deal, which including a proposal that Swiss gold refiners would move some of their business to America.

The Swiss president this week refused to give a timeline on when the talks are expected to finish.

“In the end the US president decides,” Karin Keller-Sutter said. “So maybe it just needs some more patience.”

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