Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

Filter archive by: Show All Show only Articles Show only Videos

Why Switzerland is launching a charm offensive in Southeast Asia

2026-05-25

by

2026-05-25

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, better known as ASEAN, is making headway in its aim to become a major player in a multipolar world. Switzerland, too, has been seeking closer ties. What lies behind the sudden interest? What is ASEAN’s role in the rivalry between China, the US and Europe? European countries have been …

Read More »

Ex-Raiffeisen bank CEO fined for tax evasion

2026-05-25

by

2026-05-25

The former head of Raiffeisen bank, Pierin Vincenz, will have to pay a fine of just under CHF1 million ($1.28 million) for tax evasion. At the beginning of May, the Swiss Federal Court rejected an appeal against this penalty, confirming a ruling by the Cantonal Court. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your …

Read More »

Gotthard rail tunnel overhaul costs pile up

2026-05-24

by

2026-05-24

The cost of rail infrastructure renovations at the Gotthard Base Tunnel could overrun by several million francs. The is being caused by delays in replacing the tunnel's radio communication system, reports the SonntagsBlick newspaper. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The tunnel's radio communication system allows train drivers to communicate with …

Read More »

Problems are synonymous with opportunity for entrepreneur Lucas Rondez 

2026-05-24

by

2026-05-24

Lucas Rondez does not regard himself as an expert in anything, although his life story suggests otherwise. To pursue his dream he felt he had to leave Switzerland for China. Lucas Rondez's entrepreneurial journey started at the age of 15 when he organised a downhill roller-skating race in his home village of Bassecourt, in the …

Read More »

Former Swiss banker ‘faces CHF1 million tax evasion charge’

2026-05-24

by

2026-05-24

Pierin Vincenz, the former CEO of Swiss banking group Raiffeisen, must pay a fine of almost CHF1 million for tax evasion, according to the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The Swiss Federal Court is reported to have handed down this sentence in a judgment that has been seen …

Read More »

Aromat, from Switzerland to the townships of South Africa

2026-05-23

by

2026-05-23

Aromat’s future is hanging by a thread in Switzerland. At the southern tip of the African continent, however, the spice has added a zing to all kinds of dishes for more than 70 years. The air is filled with the smell of barbecued meat and roasted corn on the cob. Charcoal smoke is mixing with … Continue reading »

Read More »

Why Switzerland is considered a land of coffee

2026-05-22

by

No coffee beans grow in Switzerland. Yet the country is the world’s second-largest exporter of coffee. How is that possible? Switzerland imports large quantities of green coffee beans and roasts them domestically. This process constitutes a “substantial transformation” of the product. Under international trade law, the coffee can therefore be classified as Swiss. But the coffee business also has a darker side. Historically, it is closely tied to...

Read More »

Swiss airports hit record 13.3 million passengers in Q1

2026-05-22

by

2026-05-22

Swiss airports handled a record 13.3 million passengers, including transit travellers, on scheduled and charter flights in the first quarter of 2026. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox This represents an increase of 0.7 million passengers, or 5%, compared to the same period in 2025. According to the figures reported on …

Read More »

Petition lodged in Switzerland against Starlink antennas

2026-05-22

by

2026-05-22

Opponents have submitted a petition with 14,550 signatures in Bern urging the Swiss government to stop the project to build 40 Starlink satellite antennas in Leuk, canton Valais. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The project would create a "dangerous geopolitical dependence", said the organisations Campax and "Protection against satellite radiation …

Read More »

Kyiv cracks down on tax evasion by Ukrainian oligarchs via Swiss banks

2026-05-22

by

2026-05-22

Ukrainian company directors are funneling their dividends to shell companies in Cyprus that move the money to Swiss banks. Kyiv has asked Bern to lift the veil on this type of arrangement in no fewer than seven cases. Yuriy Kosyuk, 57, is a “Hero of Ukraine”, the country’s highest state honour. He held a senior …

Read More »

Swiss March 8 vote campaigns cost CHF11 million

2026-05-22

by

2026-05-22

Campaigns for the four March 8 votes cost a combined CHF10.7 million ($13.6 million), according to final figures published on Friday by the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO). +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Compared to the budgets announced before the votes, the final amount was 22% higher. A total of …

Read More »

Valais refinery chimneys demolished as site eyes tech future

2026-05-22

by

2026-05-22

The final two chimneys of the former Tamoil refinery in Collombey‑Muraz, canton Valais, were demolished on Thursday, as plans continue to redevelop the site into a hub for new technologies. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The chimneys, about 100 metres high and with a total weight of 4,000 tonnes, collapsed …

Read More »

Swiss finance minister urges banks to contribute to stability

2026-05-21

by

2026-05-21

In a global context marked by geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties, Switzerland offers companies something invaluable – stability – but it is also up to them to do their part, said Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Speaking on Thursday in Bern at a symposium on …

Read More »

Rents expected to rise again in Switzerland

2026-05-21

by

2026-05-21

After a period of slowing growth, rents will rise again at a faster pace in Switzerland, Raiffeisen bank predicts in a study published on Thursday. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox As the dampening effects on rents from the fall in the key interest rate are about to wear off and … Continue reading »

Read More »

Industrial production in Switzerland fell sharply in first quarter

2026-05-21

by

2026-05-21

Production in Switzerland's secondary sector continued to decline in the first quarter of 2026. Industry in particular was weaker than in the previous year, while production in the construction industry increased slightly. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In the entire secondary sector of the economy, specifically industry and construction, production …

Read More »

Foreign investment in Switzerland slumps

2026-05-21

by

2026-05-21

Investments by foreign companies in Switzerland fell significantly last year. US companies, among others, held back. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The number of foreign investments in Switzerland shrank by almost a quarter to just 84 projects in 2025, as the consulting firm EY reported on Thursday. US companies …

Read More »

Truth or tale: can pharma companies set prices for new drugs as high as they want?

2026-05-20

by

When a pharmaceutical company launches a new drug, they have an exclusive right to produce and sell it for a period of time. This gives them a lot of power to name their price. However, there are limits to this.⁠ ⁠ Visit Swissinfo to read more. ⁠ #switzerland #swiss #pharma #drugprices --- swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective...

Read More »

Trump’s trip to China, USAID cutbacks – and is going to the World Cup a good idea?

2026-05-20

by

2026-05-20

Welcome to our press review of events in the United States. Every Wednesday we look at how the Swiss media have reported and reacted to three major stories in the US – in politics, finance and science. Have you booked your flights/hotels/stadium seats for the 2026 football World Cup, which kicks off in about three …

Read More »

EU lawmakers adopt stricter steel tariffs

2026-05-19

by

2026-05-19

The European Parliament has approved stricter steel import regulations to protect the market from global steel overcapacity. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The measure, which also applies to Switzerland, would almost halve the current duty-free quotas for steel imports. Duties of 50% would be levied on steel outside the quotas. …

Read More »

Swiss financial fraud cases rose in 2025

2026-05-19

by

2026-05-19

The Swiss Banking Ombudsman dealt with an increase in the number of cases in 2025. The main cause remains fraud involving card payments and online banking services. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The Swiss Banking Ombudsman handled 2,575 cases last year, 4% more than the previous year, explained Ombudsman Andreas …

Read More »