Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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

US Secretary of Commerce confident of Swiss tariff deal

2025-09-12

by

2025-09-12

United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick is confident about striking a customs deal with Switzerland, which is facing 39% tariffs for good exported to the US. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "We will probably get a deal with Switzerland," he said in an interview with the US broadcaster CNBC …

Read More »

Swiss watchmaking industry grapples with spike in US trade tariffs

2025-09-12

by

2025-09-12

The 39% tariffs on Swiss exports to the United States, introduced in August, are a heavy blow for Swiss watchmakers. Industry journalist Alexey Tarkhanov went to the Geneva Watch Days trade fair to get a feel for the mood. The announcement had already cast a shadow over Swiss National Day, August 1. One month later, …

Read More »

Swiss banks reject one in three applications for credit

2025-09-11

by

2025-09-11

In 2024, 35.5% of consumer credit applications were rejected by lending institutions due to solvency problems. This is a record high and is significantly higher than the previous year's rejection rate of 30.8%, says the comparison portal Kreditvergleich.ch. The analysis is based on data from the Swiss central registry for credit information. +Get the most …

Read More »

Juliette finds out where her Grandma really came from!

2025-09-11

by

Juliette's grandmother grew up a foster child in Australia... and didn't know she had Swiss ancestry. Her granddaughter Juliette started digging into birth indexes and other public records to find out who her relatives are. She ended up visiting a tiny village in southern Switzerland, where her great-great-grandfather emigrated from, in 1859. Read their full family history here:...

Read More »

Swiss SME sentiment remains stable despite steep US tariffs

2025-09-11

by

2025-09-11

Despite the high US tariffs, the mood among Swiss SMEs has hardly deteriorated. However, two-thirds of export-oriented companies have now adjusted their export strategy, with one in ten even questioning it as a whole. The mood among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Switzerland is stable despite the high US tariffs, according to the study …

Read More »

With US in retreat, can Switzerland maintain fight against kleptocracy? 

2025-09-11

by

2025-09-11

The tough task of stopping illicit financial flows and returning stolen assets is being complicated by slow progress and waning US leadership. When public officials steal millions from state coffers, it’s ordinary people who suffer. In Nigeria, for example, patients seeking treatment at understaffed hospitals fail to receive proper care, said David Ugolor, executive director …

Read More »

Trump effect dampens Swiss wanderlust to US

2025-09-10

by

2025-09-10

The Swiss are travelling less to the United States in the wake of the impact caused by President Donald Trump, says the Swiss Travel Federation (FSV). +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In the first six months of 2025, travel in the US fell by 6% compared to the same period … Continue reading »

Read More »

Swiss Senate votes to extend short-time working to counter tariffs

2025-09-10

by

2025-09-10

The Swiss Senate has approved the extension of short-time working compensation from 18 to 24 months in the face of United States tariffs. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Businesses have demanded the measure since since tariffs were raised. It has now cleared the first parliamentary hurdle. According to the parliamentary …

Read More »

Swiss central bank invests in controversial companies

2025-09-10

by

2025-09-10

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is investing money in nine companies that are facing sharp international criticism for their military cooperation with Israel. At the same time, the SNB emphasises ethical principles. How does this fit together? +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Caterpillar is one of the nine companies. The …

Read More »

Swiss await US Supreme Court ruling on tariffs

2025-09-10

by

2025-09-10

The United States Supreme Court is set to rule on the legality of President Donald Trump's tariff policy, which also impact Swiss imports duties. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox A hearing will take place in November, according to a Supreme Court document. Last week, Trump's government applied to the Supreme …

Read More »

What Happens If Switzerland Is Attacked? | Swiss Neutrality Explained

2025-09-09

by

Swiss neutrality isn’t always easy to understand. You sent us your questions, and we’ve answered a selection of them. Stay tuned for part two. --- 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 on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos visit swissinfo.ch or subscribe to our YouTube channel: Website:...

Read More »

Zurich authorities want ‘no taxpayer money for terrorists’

2025-09-08

by

2025-09-08

Zurich cantonal parliament has voted against recognising the state of Palestine. However, it has provisionally supported a motion calling for “no taxpayers' money for terrorists”, with 77 votes in favour. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The individual initiative "No tax money for terrorists" was not explicitly directed against an organisation, …

Read More »

Explainer: How the new US tariffs are already impacting the Swiss economy

2025-09-08

by

2025-09-08

On August 1, US President Donald Trump announced a tariff of 39% for Switzerland. The effects are slowly becoming visible. Only five countries have higher tariffs for their exports to the US than Switzerland. Of all the industrialised nations and European countries, Switzerland has the highest US tariffs. At the same time, the US has …

Read More »

Swiss vote on e-ID: will digital identity finally go public? | Swissinfo explains

2025-09-07

by

Is Switzerland ready to go digital with its identity cards? 📱 On September 28, Swiss citizens will vote on the introduction of a state-run digital identity (e-ID). This is important for the diaspora, as it would give them easier access to government services. Swissinfo explains what is at stake in the vote. We break down what’s at stake in this crucial referendum. Why was the first version rejected in 2021? What’s changed? And why are some...

Read More »

Global banks rush to fill Credit Suisse void for Swiss SMEs

2025-09-07

by

2025-09-07

Global banks including JPMorgan, Bank of America and Deutsche Bank are stepping up an effort to serve Switzerland’s small and mid-sized companies, as they look to fill the void left by the collapse of Credit Suisse. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Credit Suisse — which was one of the country’s …

Read More »

Swiss F-35 delivery ‘on track’ despite US delays

2025-09-07

by

2025-09-07

The delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Switzerland remains on track despite delays in the United States, according to the Federal Armaments Office, Armasuisse. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox An audit report by the US General Accounting Office states that no F-35 fighter jets were delivered on schedule last year. …

Read More »

Bill piles up for Swiss defence contractor fraud probe

2025-09-06

by

2025-09-06

The costs of an investigation into Swiss state-owned defense company Ruag over dubious tank have reached a "double-digit million sum", according to the company’s chair. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In February, new reports from the Federal Audit Office revealed the extent of irregularities at RUAG in which alleged cases …

Read More »

Switzerland held “constructive” tariff meeting in Washington

2025-09-06

by

2025-09-06

Swiss economics minister Guy Parmelin says a meeting in Washington to discuss tariffs with United States officials was "constructive". +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Switzerland sees good opportunities for both countries and wants to strengthen the partnership, he wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday night. Parmelin met …

Read More »

Indonesians Sue Holcim, Swiss Dies in Lisbon Crash, Abortions to Be Free in Switzerland

2025-09-05

by

Indonesians sue Holcim over climate damage, Swiss woman dies in Lisbon funicular crash and abortions are set to become free in Switzerland. Catch up on this week’s top Swiss news stories in under 90 seconds. 🌍🚡🧑‍⚕️ --- 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 on international events. For more articles, interviews and videos...

Read More »

Switzerland seeks improved tariff deal with US

2025-09-05

by

2025-09-05

Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin has flown to the United States with a new offer to resolve the customs dispute between the two countries. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The purpose of Parmelin's short notice mission was confirmed by Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. "We have drawn up an optimised offer …

Read More »