Swiss president announces that U.S. trade discussions will extend past March
Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced that trade talks between Switzerland and the United States will extend beyond March, following a preliminary agreement on tariffs reached last year.
In August, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 39% duty on products imported from Switzerland, making it subject to the highest U.S. tariffs in Europe.
In November, Bern finalized an initial agreement to reduce the tariffs to 15%. Switzerland subsequently initiated discussions to formalize that agreement, which Washington was urging to finalize by the end of March.
In February, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated Trump’s global tariffs, leading him to implement a new 10% global duty.
In March, the U.S. initiated new investigations into major trading partners, including Switzerland, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the progression of talks.
Parmelin, who also serves as the Swiss economy minister, informed state broadcaster RSI this weekend that the March target was “de facto” no longer applicable and that negotiations would proceed.
According to two individuals familiar with the matter, the next round of trade talks between Switzerland and the United States is expected to occur in April.
