Bern discusses US investigation into unfair trading
On Friday the Swiss government discussed the US investigations into possible unfair trading practices. Based on an initial analysis by the federal authorities, the government discussed possible further steps.
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No decisions were taken at the meeting, said government spokesperson Nicole Lamon on Friday in Bern on the sidelines of a media conference. Switzerland had received two letters from US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, she said. These relate to the two investigations initiated concerning Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974.
One investigation concerns “structural overcapacity”, Greer announced on March 11. The aim is to determine whether the practices are “unreasonable or discriminatory” and therefore affect US trade. A total of 15 countries – including China, Norway, India, Korea and Japan – as well as the European Union are affected by this investigation.
The second investigation concerns forced labour, as the US authority also wrote in a statement last week. According to Greer, governments are failing to prohibit access to their markets for goods produced using forced labour. The investigation will now examine this. A total of 60 economies are affected.
Trade dispute lasts almost a year
Bern and Washington are currently negotiating a legally binding trade agreement. The aim of this agreement is to permanently reduce the tariffs imposed by the US government to a maximum of 15%. The key points of the agreement were set out in a joint declaration made in November.
+ Swiss government says new US tariffs will replace old ones
As of February 24, 2026, a flat-rate additional tariff of 10% has applied to goods from Switzerland, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) writes on its website. This is in addition to any existing customs duties on certain goods. The additional tariffs are limited in time and valid for 150 days. They would then have to be extended by the US Congress.
Under US President Donald Trump, the US has been imposing high import duties on goods from all over the world since the beginning of April 2025. Goods from Switzerland were initially subject to a tariff of 31% and this was increased to 39% from August 1. Trump justified the tariffs with a trade deficit.
The joint declaration reduced the tariff rate to 15%. In return, Switzerland is to reduce import duties on a number of US products. According to the Swiss government, Swiss companies are also planning to make a total of $200 billion (CHF158 billion) in direct investments in the US by the end of 2028.
Adapted from German by AI/ts
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