Switzerland and the USA have reached a preliminary deal to cut tariffs from 39 percent to 15 percent on many Swiss goods.
The news will come as a relief to many Swiss exporters, which were among Europe’s hardest hit by the Trump administration tariffs. Under the new Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade – which will remove barriers on US exports to Switzerland and Liechtenstein – Swiss companies have committed to investing USD200 billion in the USA over the coming years.
USD67 billion of investment will take place in 2026. According to the White House, billions of dollars of investment by major Swiss companies such as Roche, Novartis, ABB and Stadler have already been announced in connection with the framework, with more on the way.
Among various measures announced, Switzerland and Liechtenstein plan to remove a wide range of agricultural and industrial tariffs – covering items such as nuts, seafood, fruits, chemicals and spirits. They also intend to dismantle longstanding non-tariff barriers by easing restrictions on US poultry and dairy, opening their markets to US medical devices, streamlining Customs procedures, strengthening intellectual property protections, cooperating on labour and environmental standards, aligning international standards to reduce export hurdles, and recognising US motor vehicle safety standards.
