Swiss government to make more attractive offer in US trade talks

Federal Council continues negotiations with the USA Keystone-SDA

The Swiss government is seeking to make an even more attractive offer in talks with the US as it announced on Monday. No countermeasures are currently planned.

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The Swiss government is determined to continue talks and negotiations with the US beyond the present Memorandum of Understanding and, if necessary, even after August 7, 2025.

As part of its contacts with the Swiss business community, the government has developed new approaches for the talks with the US in hopes of reaching an agreement.

Switzerland is in favour of equal treatment with its most important competitors “in order to be able to continue to offer its economy good framework conditions”.

According to the figures up to March 2025, the Swiss trade surplus in goods is by no means the result of “unfair” competitive practices. On the contrary – Switzerland unilaterally abolished all customs duties on industrial products as of January 1, 2024. This means that over 99% of all goods from the US could be imported into Switzerland duty-free.

Redundancies unavoidable

Layoffs are likely to be unavoidable due to the new tariffs, the report continued. In order to avoid these in the event of temporary job losses, the short-time work compensation scheme is a tried and tested instrument. Its maximum period of entitlement was again extended from twelve to eighteen months as of August 1 of this year. The government decided on the extension in view of the tense economic conditions.

The national government is constantly analysing the further development of the situation and its impact on the Swiss economy and will be able to take measures quickly if necessary, it added.

Switzerland ranks sixth in terms of foreign investment in the US and “even first” in terms of investment in research and development. Bilateral trade has quadrupled in the last two decades. The government wants to maintain these “dynamic economic relations”.

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Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

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