US-Swiss Tariff Talks Will Feature Citrus Fruits, Shellfish, Medical Devices

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Switzerland will discuss with the US easing market access for some agricultural products and simplifying approval for medical devices in order to avert damaging tariffs on its exports.

The Swiss government has given its negotiators the go-ahead to talk about cutting tariffs on goods including citrus fruits, nuts and shellfish, it said in a statement Wednesday. These products don’t usually originate from Switzerland, giving the government an avenue for a US compromise without angering farmers. They have threatened to resist any weakening of protections for domestic agriculture.

The negotiating mandate comes less than three weeks after both sides held talks they described as “constructive.” After meeting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Geneva, Swiss officials said Switzerland might become the second country — after the UK — to close a deal with the US. Economy Minister Guy Parmelin said Tuesday that he hopes to clinch an agreement by early July. 

Aside from averting tariffs of as much as 31%, Switzerland is also aiming to improving its own market access in the US, according to the statement. Bern also said that any negotiation result must not break World Trade Organization Rules.

While the current US tariffs of 10% are “very challenging” for affected industries, the government expects no economic slump across the board like during the Covid pandemic, it said in a separate statement.

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