Silence from the White House Switzerland trembles before Trump - when will the customs letter arrive?
What's next for Switzerland in the customs dispute with the USA? The Federal Council still has no information either.
08.07.2025, 10:10
08.07.2025, 10:27
SDA
On Tuesday morning, Switzerland still has no clarity in the customs dispute with the USA. US President Donald Trump has not yet published a letter. And the Federal Council also does not know when communication will take place.
"I am aware that people are eagerly awaiting the result or the letter from the USA today," said Communications Minister Albert Rösti on Tuesday on the fringes of a media outing. However, he assumed that there would only be news later. "But I don't know."
This uncertainty is weighing on the economy and the markets. At the start of the week, Trump announced new tariffs for fourteen countries - and postponed the deadline for new tariffs from (tomorrow) Wednesday to August 1.
What this means for Switzerland was initially unclear. Last week, it was reported that negotiations on a bilateral agreement were close to being concluded.
Traces on the financial markets
The ongoing uncertainty surrounding US customs policy is also leaving its mark on the financial markets. Neither in this country nor in neighboring European countries are investors leaning too far out of the window on Tuesday. As a result, the SMI, Dax & Co are more or less treading water.
Compared to "Liberation Day" at the beginning of April, when Trump swung his tariff club for the first time, the market reaction this time is very calm, says one trader. After all, the countries affected still have time to negotiate and talks are continuing with Europe and Switzerland.
For one trader, however, the current market reaction is "suspiciously optimistic". Investors seemed to be ignoring the risks and impact of tariffs on supply chains, inflation, growth and profits.
On Monday, Trump sent a series of letters outlining new tariff rules to several countries, including Japan, South Korea, South Africa and Malaysia. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said reciprocal tariffs, or the new tariffs listed in the letters, would go into effect - "or agreements will be reached." These countries will continue to negotiate with the United States. Many positive developments have been seen.
The EU was counting on an agreement in principle in the customs dispute with the USA. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke to US President Trump on the phone on Sunday and discussed the current state of negotiations, said a spokesperson in Brussels. They were at the "beginning of the final phase", it was said on Monday afternoon. The spokesperson did not want to provide any details of the conversation.
