Switzerland The president and other officials were traveling to Washington on Tuesday on a hurry journey aimed at concluding a deal with the Trump administration about the highly declining American definitions that threw Swiss industries such as chocolate, machinery and watches.
President Karen Keeler was leading the delegation after announcing last week that the exports of Swiss goods to the United States would face a A huge tariff of 39 % Starting on Thursday – a step that has taken many Swiss business leaders a surprise.
This rate is more than 2/2 times of the rate European Union The goods that are exported to the United States and the top four times from British exports to the United States
It is also more than 31 % of Switzerland you may face when the US President Donald Trump The “Liberation Day” tariff was announced on products from dozens of countries in early April.
The Swiss government said that the journey was “facilitating meetings with the American authorities in a short notice and holding talks with the aim of improving the Swiss tariff situation.”
Keeler Syster, who is also the Minister of Finance in Switzerland, faced criticism in the Swiss media for a recent invitation with Trump against the United States The deadline for definitions Its validity ended on August 1. It was leading a team that included Economy Minister Jay Parmelin.
In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Trump alluded to the call, saying, “The woman was nice, but she did not want to listen” and he told her: “We have a deficit of $ 41 billion with you, Madame … and she wants to pay a 1 % tariff.”
“I said,” You will not pay 1 %, “added.
It was not immediately clear where the number 41 billion dollars came from. According to the American Statistical Office, the United States made a 38.3 billion dollar commercial imbalances on goods last year with Switzerland.
Swiss officials have argued that American goods are facing a zero tariff in Switzerland, and the Swiss government says that the country of wealthy Alps is the sixth largest foreign investor in the United States and the leading investor in research and development.
“It is difficult to negotiate when you deal with an unpredictable person like Donald Trump.” He expressed concern that Swiss goods can become less competing for competing products from the neighboring European Union.
He said on the phone: “We had a (Swiss) government that gave the impression that the deal had been done, I just waited a signature from the president.” “We have the impression that we are punishing, but we do not know the reason.”
The strong pharmaceutical industry in Switzerland – which Dozens of billions of investments in the United States promise In recent months, amid customs tariff fears – it is exempt from a rate of 39 %. But Slatkine said that the level of sharp tariff can aim to send major drugs in Switzerland – embodied by Roche and Novartis A message that it can be pressure.
The government statement said on Tuesday that the journey comes a day after that the Executive Branch in Switzerland, the Federal Council, held an unusual meeting and said that “it is keen to follow up talks with the United States on the set of customs tariffs.”
After consulting with the Swiss companies, the council said it had developed “new ways of discussions” with US officials and was looking forward to continuous negotiations.
A statement to the council said on Monday: “Switzerland is entering this new stage ready to make a more attractive offer, while taking concerns and seeking to alleviate the current customs tariff.”
Under the US advertisements on Friday, Swiss companies will now get one of the most severe export duties-Laos, Myanmar and Syria have only higher numbers, 40-41 %.
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