Geneva – The Swiss President says that Switzerland is among the 15 countries with which the United States plans to carry out “privileged” negotiations to help reach an agreement following American tariffs in dozens of countries that have shaken world markets.
Karin Keller-Sutter, in an interview with the SRF station published on Friday, said he was “satisfied” with the conversations in Washington this week that included a International Monetary Fund Conference and his individual meeting with the United States Secretary of the United States, Scott Besent. Keller-Sutter also serves as a Minister of Finance of Switzerland.
“The United States has defined a group of 15 countries with which you want to find … A quick solution in this tariff question. Switzerland is part of this group of these 15 countries,” journalists told journalists on Thursday night in Washington.
It was not clear immediately what another 14 countries were included, but she told SRF that “the United States plans to perform a realization, it would say something privileged, negotiations and search for solutions” with that group.
Before Trump Administration He paused some of his strictest rate plansThe products imported from Switzerland had been prepared to face 31% tariffs, more than 20% of European Union goods tariffs. Switzerland is not a member of the block of 27 countries.
According to the figures published by the Swiss Embassy in Washington, the United States has been the most important assets export market of Switzerland throughout the world since 2021, while Switzerland is the fourth most important export market for US services. The bilateral commercial volume in goods and services between Switzerland and the United States reached a total of $ 185.9 billion in 2023, says the embassy on its website.
Keller-Sutter said that a memorandum of understanding was elaborated after which negotiations can begin. A document would also present the most important issues, and “we have also been assigned a specific contact person. This is not easy in the administration of the United States,” he said.
“The US authorities have clearly expressed their desire to find a solution with Switzerland,” Keller-Sutter told SRF. She said that a schedule had not been established, but the two parties agreed to advance rapidly “because uncertainty is poison for the economy.”
Trump’s “Day of Liberation Day” tariffs triggered agitation in world stock markets. A week later, Trump spoke by phone with Keller-Sutter in a conversation that his office said he focused on tariffs. She emphasized the “important role of Swiss companies and investments” in the United States.
Hours later, Trump announced the U -turn that stopped the new tariffs steep in about 60 countries for 90 days, with the advancement of progress, which was not confirmed, in some Swiss media that his conversation with Trump could have played a role in the change of course.
On Thursday, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, during a trip to Beijing, said that American tariffs have pushed countries affected to “a kind of coalition” to try to reach an agreement with the United States. And on Monday, the giant of the Swiss Pharmaceutical Products Roche plans announced to invest $ 50 billion In the United States over the next five years, an un specified amount of which it has already been underway.
