Trade Customs talks will take place in the afternoon (US East Coast time)
The Swiss customs delegation with Economics Minister Guy Parmelin will meet with the US administration in Washington this afternoon (East Coast time) for talks. These are taking place "at various levels", said a spokesperson at the request of Keystone-SDA.
13.11.2025, 07:22
13.11.2025, 11:45
SDA
Since the beginning of August, Swiss exports have been subject to a US punitive tariff of 39 percent. Economic Affairs Minister Guy Parmelin therefore landed in the US capital Washington D.C. early Thursday morning (CET).
There, Parmelin will meet with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, among others, for customs talks, as his department spokesman Markus Spörndli confirmed to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Wednesday evening. However, a conclusion to the customs negotiations on Thursday is "rather unlikely", Spörndli continued on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Federal Councillor Albert Rösti, who represented Parmelin at the World Cheese Awards in Bern, which begin on Thursday, was pleased that the Minister of Economic Affairs would be able to hold further talks in connection with the customs negotiations. However, he could "not say anything at the moment" about any expectations, as he told a reporter from Keystone-SDA on site.
"I believe it is important that the talks continue and this also shows that the Swiss government is taking the negotiations very seriously and is trying to make them a success," Rösti continued. Where we stand in the negotiations is a matter for the Federal Council.
With regard to Swiss cheese exports, Rösti said he hoped that a better customs situation would be negotiated for producers. The Federal Council is aware of the importance of exports.
