US tariffs of 39% come into force for Switzerland

With the levies now in place, the Swiss government is to provide more information on Thursday afternoon. Keystone-SDA

US tariffs of 39% on Swiss exports formally came into force on Thursday morning, despite last-minute talks between a Swiss delegation and US representatives.

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As the Swiss government announced on social media platform X on Thursday morning, it will hold an extraordinary meeting in the early afternoon after a delegation returns from the US. A media briefing will follow.

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Economics Minister Guy Parmelin travelled to Washington at short notice on Tuesday evening to make a fresh offer to representatives of the US government, in a last-minute bid to avert the implementation of the tariffs.

Shortly before the deadline for the introduction of the tariffs expired, US President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that they would now come into force. In addition to Switzerland and the European Union (EU), almost 70 other countries are affected by the new levies – to varying degrees in each case.

Trump has justified his radical tariff policy with reference to alleged trade deficits which pose a national security risk for the US. A national emergency therefore applies, which justifies the tariffs, Trump claims.

Vague information after meeting

Following a meeting in Washington, information from the Swiss and US sides remained vague. President Keller-Sutter wrote on X on Wednesday evening that they had discussed bilateral cooperation, the customs situation and international issues. There was also an exchange with leading US business representatives. The two Swiss government ministers decided not to hold an on-site press conference.

The US State Department announced for its part that both sides had reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation in the area of defence. The importance of fair and balanced trade relations for the benefit of the American people was also discussed.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

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