The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

Swiss wine import limits come under fire

New wine import rules come under fire
New wine import rules come under fire Keystone-SDA

A Swiss government plan to support wine production by restricting imports has met with strong opposition from wine merchants and trade associations.

+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

A consultation on the proposed revision of the Wine Ordinance concluded on June 18. The Federal Council proposes to reserve wine import tariff quotas for businesses that purchase and process Swiss grapes.

The measure is supported by some 1,000 winegrowers, as well as by VignobleSuisse, who cite the sector’s economic difficulties.

Conversely, several trade organisations, including the Swiss Wine Trade Association, oppose the measure. They fear it will distort competition and lead to higher prices.

The Federal Council plans to make a decision in the autumn based on the results of the consultation.

More

Translated from French, sub-edited by mga

External Content

Related Stories

Popular Stories

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR