Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

Roche buys US firm 89bio for up to $3.5 billion

Swiss pharma giant Roche is acquiring the California-based liver and cardiovascular disorders specialist 89bio for an initial sum of $2.4 billion (CHF1.9 billion). The Basel-based pharmaceutical giant expects to make additional payments of up to $1.1 billion. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In particular, the deal enables the Basel-based multinational …

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Swiss watch exports to US take tumble amid high tariffs

Swiss watch exports went into a tailspin in August, after surging in July in response to tariffs imposed by the United States. Shipments of timepieces to the US plummeted by almost a quarter, following a 45% jump in July. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Overall, Swiss watch exports fell by … Continue...

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Survey finds multinationals have a good image in Geneva region

Multinational companies enjoy a good image in the Lake Geneva region, where the population is generally aware of their importance to prosperity, a survey reveals.. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The Geneva-based Groupement des entreprises multinationales (GEM) has conducted its first study in its 55-year history into the image of …

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Swiss engineering giant ABB invests in California AI company

ABB has invested in California company LandingAI through its Robotics division. This collaboration, the first of its kind, should eventually lead to the development of autonomous and versatile robots. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The LandingLens platform makes it possible to identify and process objects, processes or faults, without the …

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Ricola postpones new Swiss factory opening due to US tariffs

Ricola, a manufacturer of candies and balsamic herbal teas heavily dependent on exports, has postponed the planned opening of a new production plant in the former Hero factory in Lenzburg, canton Aargau. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The family-owned company justifies the decision by the high US duties on Swiss …

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Swiss House of Representatives rejects plan to abolish marriage tax penalty

The Swiss House of Representative recommended rejecting the centrist initiative to abolish the marriage penalty in federal tax without a counter-proposal by 99 votes to 92. It considers the proposed model to be unsuitable and favours individual taxation. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The initiative “Yes to fair federal taxes …

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Switzerland signs free trade agreement with Mercosur states

Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and representatives of the other European Free Trade Association states (EFTA) signed the free trade agreement with the Mercosur states in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. It enables “significant customs savings” for Swiss companies. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The signing of the free trade …

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Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke steps down earlier than planned

There is another major departure from the management of the Nestlé food group. Chairman of the Board of Directors Paul Bulcke is now stepping down early. His departure follows the dismissal of Nestlé CEO Laurent Freixe at the beginning of September. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The pressure on 71-year-old …

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Switzerland launches trade alliance with 13 small and medium-sized economies

Switzerland wants to diversify and strengthen trade relations together with 13 other countries. With this in mind, the small and medium-sized economies involved have launched the 'Future of Investment and Trade Partnership'. The new initiative brings together small and medium-sized economies with an interest in open and rules-based global trade. According to the economics ministry, …

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Zurich airport trials autonomous buses for employees

Zurich airport could become the first in Europe to use autonomous buses to transport employees around the runway. The system is currently being tested with a driver on board in case of problems. The pilot project has been underway since March, Zurich airport said on Tuesday. Since June, employees have been able to board an …

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Singapore will not overtake Swiss financial centre, says Swiss Bankers Association president

The Swiss financial centre is still well-positioned, despite the collapse of Credit Suisse, said the president of the Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) Marcel Rohner. "One cannot speak of a loss of importance," said the 61-year-old in an interview published today by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). Singapore and Hong Kong were acknowledged as major competitors, …

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Switzerland tops Global Innovation Index

Switzerland remains the most innovative country in the world, according to an index published on Tuesday by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva. The country comes out ahead of Sweden and the United States, while China has entered the top ten for the first time. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in …

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Swiss firms react to tariffs with automation and local production

According to a survey, Swiss companies have taken several measures in response to the recently announced tariffs by the United States. These include increasing efficiency and automation. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In a survey conducted by strategy consultants EY Parthenon, 48% of the CEOs surveyed are planning specific measures …

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Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse sets summer traffic records

More than 2.4 million passengers used Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse during the summer holiday period. This is a new record and corresponds to 9% increase over the previous year. Euroairport also set a record for the month of August with over one million passengers travelling. In addition, 36,802 passengers travelled on August 8, more than ever before …

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UBS allegedly considering moving headquarters to the US

Rumours of UBS moving to the United States have resurfaced, just as the Swiss Senate is due to take up the issue of tightening capital requirements for institutions considered "systemic" in Switzerland on Monday. Already a dominant player on the Swiss banking scene at the time, Switzerland's number one bank became even bigger on March …

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Can Switzerland lower agricultural tariffs to negotiate a better deal with the US?

The Alpine nation is trying to negotiate its way out of a steep tariff of 39% imposed by the US on August 1. The European Union, which wrangled a much lower tariff of 15%, offered concessions on certain US food imports. Is this an option for Switzerland? On Swiss National Day (August 1), it is … Continue reading...

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Top executives in Switzerland earn 143 times more than employees

Last year, senior executives of large Swiss companies earned 143 times more than their lower-paid employees. According to a study by the trade union Unia, the gap has narrowed slightly compared to recent years. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In 2023, the gap between the highest and lowest wages was …

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Chinese e-commerce site Temu opens platform for Swiss companies

Chinese e-commerce giant Temu has launched its “Local-to-Local” programme in Switzerland. From September 15, Swiss retailers will be able to offer their products directly on Temu’s platform, as the company announced on Monday. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In the initial phase, Swiss companies will only be able to sell …

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SWISS boss says relocations at Lufthansa bring more efficiency

Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) CEO Jens Fehlinger has defended the planned relocation of tasks within the Lufthansa Group. In an interview with the SonntagsBlick, he emphasised that SWISSwill remain an independent airline with its own brand and management in Zurich. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox However, as a subsidiary of …

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Swatch CEO on tariffs: ‘whole world saw Switzerland panic’

Swatch CEO Nick Hayek accuses the Swiss federal government of a lack of leadership in the tariff dispute with the United States. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Switzerland showed signs of weakness and panicked before the eyes of the whole planet, he says: in his opinion, the government should have …

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