Expert classifies the tariff shock "Those who have not yet taken action are now being shaken awake"
The massive increase in US tariffs for Swiss goods is not causing Swiss companies any major paperwork. Strategically, however, they are challenged. Decisions to relocate could be made quickly.
07.08.2025, 14:51
07.08.2025, 16:06
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- Trump's tariff hammer is hitting the Swiss economy just as hard as the lifting of the minimum exchange rates in 2015, according to one expert.
- Local companies will now have to control their supply chains.
- Some companies are planning to relocate abroad - for example to the EU, which only pays 15 percent US customs duty.
- The bureaucratic hurdles, however, are manageable.
Trump's 39% tariff is a similarly severe blow to the Swiss economy as the shock following the discontinuation of the minimum exchange rate in 2015, says Marc Bernitt, who is responsible for customs in Europe and Asia at logistics company Kühne+Nagel.
"Anyone who hasn't taken action so far is now being shaken awake." Because hardly anyone can live with a customs duty of 39 percent. Companies are therefore getting their relocation plans out of the drawers.
Bernitt knows the case of a Swiss food company that now produces in Switzerland. "They are now considering relocating production to the EU, where US customs duties are more favorable." However, only the raw materials are to be produced there, with final production planned in the USA.
In this context, the entire supply chain must be considered. "When manufacturing a product, four to five changes of ownership are not uncommon," says the Kuehne+Nagel expert. There is room for maneuver here.
"Take a close look at the entire supply chain"
For example, if goods are purchased from a US supplier, this proportion could be deducted from the customs invoice. "In the current situation, companies cannot avoid scrutinizing the entire supply chain."
"The actual processing of the higher customs tariff, on the other hand, is not a problem," says Bernitt. The relevant processes are now completely digitalized. Tariff changes can be adapted accordingly easily.
Anyone speculating that there will be a deal with a lower tariff in the foreseeable future can now temporarily store their goods in a duty-free warehouse. However, this naturally ties up resources and is not a viable option for all types of goods, says Bernitt.
The higher tariff means that early deliveries of goods are less acute. These have been observed across all sectors since last fall due to Trump's tariff threats, according to Bernitt.
