April 25, 2025, 19:04
The United States plans to negotiate import tariff issues with 15 countries including Switzerland, and Switzerland is considered one of the privileged partners. Oleg Artukhov, a commentator for Pravda.Ru, wrote that preparations for the negotiations are already underway.
This news came after Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin attended the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington.
During the visit, the Swiss delegation held a series of meetings to discuss the relevant matters regarding Switzerland's participation in the negotiation process. Keller-Sutter pointed out that Switzerland is included in the list of priority countries for reaching solutions on tariff issues with the United States. An intention statement is being drafted, which will serve as the basis for future discussions. The U.S. Treasury Department is also involved in drafting this document.
During the visit, Keller-Sutter also met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Beasant. Both parties agreed to prepare a joint document outlining key issues of mutual interest. Additionally, the U.S. has designated specific contacts responsible for subsequent coordination of this issue.
The U.S. side expressed hope to find mutually acceptable solutions for tariffs on goods imported from Switzerland. Swiss representatives noted that since Switzerland does not impose import duties on industrial products, tariffs may be reduced to zero. However, whether the U.S. will completely eliminate tariffs remains uncertain, and some compromise conditions may need to be reached.
At present, the exact time for the start of negotiations has not been determined, but both sides hope to begin discussions as soon as possible, as the current uncertainty has a negative impact on the economy.
The background to these events is U.S. President Donald Trump's decision on April 2 to impose "reciprocal" import tariffs. According to the order, the basic tax rate is 10%, and for 57 countries, higher rates will be implemented based on the trade deficit between the U.S. and each country.
However, it was announced on April 9 that more than 75 countries expressed a desire to negotiate and did not take countermeasures. Therefore, within 90 days, a basic tariff of 10% will apply to all countries except the relevant ones.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7497443427148202550/
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