Former US Vice President Mike Pence has spoken in favour of a free-trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and Switzerland. The idea of reviving FTA talks has been rumbling on for several years.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
“If the Trump administration had been able to stay for another four years, this free-trade deal could have been concluded,” Pence told the Swiss Economic Forum in the mountain resort of Interlaken on Thursday.
“I will continue to use my influence to see this agreement finalised.”
He said economic relations between Switzerland and the US were good and had improved under the presidency of Donald Trump.
Long-running saga
The idea of kickstarting negotiations for a free-trade agreement with the US has been around for several years. But efforts to revive an FTA, following the collapse of a previous attempt in 2006, have so far made very slow progress.
Former Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann first mooted the idea of reviving FTA talks in 2018. But initial efforts yielded little joy.
“The new administration around Joe Biden will certainly have to deal with other problems first,” he said. “Had Donald Trump been given a second term as US president, Switzerland might have had a slightly better chance for a free-trade agreement,” he said.
The US is Switzerland’s second-biggest trading partner after the European Union.
Finance minister wants Swiss banks to hold more equity
This content was published on
Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has repeated calls for banks and their holdings in subsidiaries abroad to hold more equity.
Telecoms sector kept Swiss competitions regulator busy in 2023
This content was published on
Last year, the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) conducted 27 investigations and initiated 17 preliminary investigations.
This content was published on
Although Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) achieved higher revenue at the start of the year, it suffered a dip in profits.
40,000 signatures against animal testing in Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland should do away with “restrictive” animal testing and should become a model for innovative, effective, and pain-free scientific research.
More than 45,000 signatures in favour of federal funding for UNRWA
This content was published on
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives (FAC) is expected to decide on the funding of the UNRWA at the beginning of the week.
This content was published on
At the end of January 2024, 6,881 men and women were behind bars in Switzerland. Almost 95% of all places were occupied, the highest number since 2014.
Cases of psychological abuse of children increase in Switzerland
This content was published on
The number of cases of child abuse recorded in Swiss paediatric clinics rose to 2,097 in 2023, an all-time high, which is mainly due to improved recording.
Swiss Trade Unions bemoan ‘lost decade’ for people on lower incomes
This content was published on
While top salaries continue to rise, low and middle salaries are stagnating in real terms, according to a report published on Monday.
Storm in La Chaux-de-Fonds caused damage totalling CHF117 million
This content was published on
The storm in July 2024 left one dead and around 40 injured. Numerous trees were blown down and thousands of buildings were damaged - especially their roofs.
This content was published on
Edward McMullen, the United States ambassador to Switzerland, has said farewell to the country, SonntagsBlick has reported.
Free trade deals save Switzerland billions, study finds
This content was published on
Swiss consumers and importers saved billions of francs in 2018 thanks to lower customs duties as part of free trade deals.
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.