Switzerland, who has awakened in a shock of 39% of punitive customs duties imposed by Donald Trump, is looking for a parade of this blow that could cost tens of thousands of jobs in the small alpine country.
As soon as he returned Thursday morning with a last time mission to Washington to try to bring the Americans back to their decision, the president and minister of Finance, Karin Keller-Sutter and Guy Parmelin, the Minister of the Economy must find his five federal government colleagues to administer the crisis.
“Very friendly exchange”
In Washington, the Swiss delegation could only meet Marco Rubio, the head of American diplomacy and not Donald Trump, who seems to maneuver in customs duties, in which he sees a tool to force the economic partners of the United States to make concessions.
At the end of Wednesday’s meeting, Karin Keller-Sutter only talked about “a very friendly and open exchange on common issues.” For the Professional Association of Companies of the Sector and Mechanical, Electric, Swissmem, “if this exorbitant customs load is maintained, the export activities of the Swiss technology industry to the United States are de facto in agony, especially in view of the tasks of the much lower customs for the competition of the EU and Japan.”
Swissmem asks the authorities to “continue negotiating with the United States, even if the chances of success are currently low” and believes that “it is urgent to take measures to improve the framework conditions of the entire export economy.”
Swiss exception
Switzerland is particularly affected by the duties of US customs, which entered into force on Thursday at 4:01 GMT in products of dozens of savings and drawing the new world commercial order searched by Donald Trump. The competitors of Swiss companies in the EU will only see their products taxed by 15% of the rights and those of the United Kingdom for only 10%.
The 39% rate is one of the highest imposed in countries with the United States and endangers entire sections of the very exported Swiss economy, in particular watchmaking machines or industrialists, but also chocolate and cheese. This strike threatens dozens thousand jobs in the alpine country.
President Trump justified his gesture, which took the Swiss authorities by total surprise when they thought they had a much more favorable frame agreement, due to the fact that Switzerland shows a commercial surplus of several billions of dollars with the United States.
According to customs statements, the United States captured 18.6% of the exports of assets of Switzerland in 2024, which export mainly medicines, for the exempt time but also threatened by the US president.
Switzerland has argued until the last moment the fact that the commercial balance of services is very favorable in the United States and re -quilibres exchanges, which their companies are among those that invest in the United States, especially in research and development, or that most American industrial products are not imposed on entering Switzerland.
The surcharge replaces, with the savings in question, the 10% applied since April to almost all products that enter the United States. They are in a large range between 15% and 41%. The European Union (EU), Japan or South Korea, which are among the main commercial partners of the United States, are now affected by a rate of at least 15%.
Source: BFM TV
