That's what it's about
- The Swiss government announced the reduction of US tariffs on Swiss imports to 15 percent. Switzerland has been trying to lower tariffs since April: Most recently, US tariffs stood at 39 percent. Reactions in Swiss politics have been mixed.
Since April, Switzerland has been trying to reduce US tariffs – the long wait is now over: On Friday, US Commerce Secretary Jamieson Greer and the Federal Council announced that US tariffs on Swiss imports will be reduced from 39 percent to 15 percent.
The Federal Council, in particular, had faced criticism during previous attempts. For example, after a failed phone call between Federal President Karin Keller-Sutter and Donald Trump in August, a further increase in tariffs to 39 percent could not be prevented – in an international context, these tariffs were among the highest worldwide. There was even talk of a gross failure on the part of the government. Now, politicians are reacting differently to the reduction in US tariffs.
SVP National Councillor Franz Grüter: Great team effort from politics and business
SVP National Councillor Franz Grüter is pleased about the tariff reduction. The Swiss economy now has every reason to celebrate – after all, the USA is one of Switzerland's most important trading partners: companies that export to the USA will become even more competitive. This is a very positive development for all of us.
This success, however, was not solely attributable to the cantonal government: it was a fantastic team effort between politics and business, skillfully orchestrated by Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin. In particular, securing a meeting at the White House for high-ranking representatives of the gold industry and commodity producers was groundbreaking. The visit with Donald Trump was crucial and helped Switzerland achieve a relatively rapid breakthrough, Grüter is convinced.
Center-party National Councillor Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter also attributes the success to the good cooperation between business and politics. Switzerland acted in a united and reliable manner – this builds trust and opens doors, she praised. The visits from the business elite complemented the official efforts.
Looking to the future, the Basel-Landschaft native hopes that the tariff reduction will pave the way for deeper economic cooperation with the USA – and that this momentum should now be used to dismantle further trade barriers. Tariffs are always too high – they stifle trade, innovation, and competitiveness. Every reduction is a step in the right direction, explains the centrist politician.
SP National Councillor David Roth: Bribery of our economy
"15 percent tariffs are still 15 percent tariffs," criticizes SP National Councillor David Roth. Even if the tariffs are now lower, Switzerland remains merely a pawn in Donald Trump's game:"The existence of these tariffs demonstrates that we are and will remain at the mercy of his whims." It is therefore clear that Switzerland must reposition itself in its foreign policy, for example, by forging closer ties with its European partners:"We must not simply rely on the goodwill and grace of the American president and become dependent on this mafia-like procurement structure."
The SP member views the visit of the business elite to Donald Trump as a form of bribery of the business community: it represents a departure from diplomatic solutions and even an entry into the corrupt Trump system. While this action may have been helpful on the surface, he argues that simply handing over gold bars will not prove effective in the long run – after all, no one can guarantee Switzerland that the US will not pose a threat again.
