Switzerland - USA SP leadership opposes free trade agreement with the USA
The SP party leadership has spoken out against a free trade agreement with the USA in an interview. Such an agreement with US President Donald Trump is a "no-go", said Co-Party President Mattea Meyer in an interview with "NZZ am Sonntag".
02.03.2025, 00:38
02.03.2025, 06:13
SDA
In view of the US threat of tariffs of 25 percent on EU products and the support of the AfD in Germany, this is not the time to talk about free trade with the US, Meyer said in the interview, which was initially published online on Sunday. "The USA is trying to drive Europe apart," she said.
Helene Budliger Artieda, Director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), took a different view. In an interview with Tamedia, she urged negotiations on a free trade agreement with the USA. The tariffs announced by the US government could have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry, she said at the end of February. Contacts in the United States are being intensively cultivated.
According to SP Co-President Cédric Wermuth, Switzerland is faced with a decision: "Do we align ourselves with Europe, which upholds the rule of law and democracy, or do we send a signal to the world that we put profit above all else?" For the SP, the clear answer is a commitment to Europe, said Wermuth in an interview on Sunday.
EU announces reaction
During a cabinet meeting at the end of February, Trump held out the prospect of 25 percent tariffs on imports from the European Union. He once again accused Europe of taking advantage of the USA. The European Union (EU) had been founded "to pull a fast one on the USA". This was "the purpose" of the EU.
The EU will react immediately to unjustified obstacles to free and fair trade, said a spokesperson for the responsible EU Commission in Brussels. This applies in particular if tariffs are used to call into question a legitimate and non-discriminatory policy.
Swiss economy partly concerned
Swiss business associations are observing the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on Canada and China, and those postponed for the time being on Mexico, with varying degrees of concern. Although Switzerland holds certain trump cards, politicians must act proactively, they say.
For the Swiss Trade Association, for example, dialog with the USA must be intensified not only through diplomatic channels, but also within the framework of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). In the longer term, Switzerland must continue its efforts to conclude free trade agreements.
https://www.nzz.ch/schweiz/cedric-wermuth-und-mattea-meyer-ueber-trump-ein-freihandelsabkommen-und-die-spd-ld.1872931
