Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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AI ‘could add CHF85 billion to Swiss economy’

2026-01-21

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2026-01-21

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly increase Switzerland's economic output, according to a study presented at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

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Life has become more expensive in Switzerland – despite low inflation

2026-01-21

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2026-01-21

Inflation is forecast to be just 0.2% in 2025. And yet many people feel the pinch: prices in Switzerland are around 7% higher than five years ago, putting pressure on household budgets. Higher prices: According to the consumer price index, the overall price level has risen by 7% over the past five years. The index …

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WEF: Switzerland treads carefully with Trump as tariff deal looms

2026-01-21

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2026-01-21

The Swiss government is expected to avoid sharp criticism of Donald Trump’s Greenland plans at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos as it seeks to finalise a 15% tariff deal with the United States. Meetings at the WEF annual meeting in Davos are sometimes very short, but high-profile. Swiss President Guy Parmelin …

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Novartis CEO: ‘Europe lags behind’ on innovation

2026-01-20

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2026-01-20

Novartis CEO Vasant Narasimhan told Bloomberg in an interview that he sees clear differences between Europe and the US in the Swiss pharmaceutical giant's investment strategy. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The investment environment outside Europe is currently "much more favourable", Narasimhan said in the interview with Bloomberg on …

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Trump’s tariff threats are ‘a mistake,’ says von der Leyen at WEF

2026-01-20

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2026-01-20

The additional tariffs proposed by US President Trump are a mistake, declared European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the opening of the World Economic Forum (WEF). She was reacting to the US President's threats if Greenland was not ceded to him. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "We …

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Swiss President seeks to renew trade agreement with China

2026-01-20

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2026-01-20

Swiss President Guy Parmelin met with Chinese Vice Prime Minister He Lifeng in Davos on Tuesday to explore ways to expand bilateral relations. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The exchange was important, Parmelin wrote on the X platform after the exchange.

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Survey: Swiss CEOs optimistic about 2026 after US trade deal

2026-01-20

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2026-01-20

US tariff policy and fears of a trade war led many Swiss companies to hold back on investments last year. Nevertheless, most company bosses are optimistic about the new year. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox According to the latest edition of the CEO survey conducted by the consulting firm …

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Swiss housing prices surged in 2025

2026-01-20

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2026-01-20

Residential property prices in Switzerland rose significantly last year, especially for single-family homes. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Across Switzerland, prices for single-family homes rose by an average of 6.5% and for condominiums by 5.9% in 2025, as mortgage broker Moneypark and Zurich-based startup Pricehubble, which specialises in real …

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Anti-WEF demo in Zurich turns violent

2026-01-20

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2026-01-20

An anti-WEF demonstration on Monday evening turned violent, resulting in property damage and clashes with police. Several thousand people took part in the rally at the start of the World Economic Forum, as reported by the Zurich city police. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The demonstration with the slogan …

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US Treasury Secretary: US-Swiss relations are ‘back on track’

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Relations with Switzerland are back on track after a rough period, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared on Monday on his arrival in Davos for the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "After a turbulent period in recent months, relations between Switzerland and the …

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Are pesticides making farmers sick? What we know so far

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Switzerland is investigating whether exposure to pesticides increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease among farmers. While Parkinson’s is recognised as an occupational disease for farmers abroad. Switzerland, however, lacks key data to draw firm conclusions. In Germany, farmers who have used pesticides for more than 100 days during their working lives and later develop Parkinson’s …

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Swiss stock market jolted by Greenland tensions

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

The Swiss stock market opened lower on Monday, like other European markets, as investors digested the escalation of geopolitical tensions over Greenland and the threat of new US tariffs on eight European nations. Safe haven investments like the Swiss franc benefited against this turbulent backdrop. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your …

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Swiss food bank saves 8,500 tonnes of food from going to waste

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Last year the Schweizer Tafel food bank saved around 8,500 tonnes of food from going to waste and gave it to people in need. This represents an increase of 11% compared to 2024. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Products from the food industry were a key driver of this … Continue reading »

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How to speak Davosian – for beginners

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Switzerland has four official languages, but regular visitors to Davos have mastered a fifth: a form of English that is rich in possibility, ambition and occasional wisdom. Although this Davos dialect is initially even harder on the ears than Swiss German, it can become second nature, given enough practice and self-delusion. We are pleased to …

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Swiss-Italian shipping giant MSC invests in Libyan port of Misrata

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Libyan authorities have announced a strategic partnership deal worth $3 billion with a Qatari fund and Swiss-Italian shipping giant MSC’s subsidiary to develop Misrata port. An agreement was signed on Sunday. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox According to a press release from Misrata Free Zone Authority (MFZ), the partnership …

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Greenland emerges as new source of Swiss gold imports

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

Greenland has been in the headlines after US President Donald Trump threatened to annex the Danish-ruled territory. Less attention has been paid to its gold exports. Switzerland has been strengthening its position as the world’s leading hub for gold trading and refining by opening a new import channel from Greenland. + Get the most important …

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Swiss to vote on preserving cash as a payment system

2026-01-19

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2026-01-19

On March 8, the Swiss will decide whether the availability of cash should be enshrined in the constitution. A popular initiative and the government’s counterproposal are both on the ballot. An explainer. How do the Swiss use cash currently? According to a recent study by the Swiss National Bank (SNB), Swiss residents are moving away …

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Hundreds join anti-WEF protest march in Switzerland

2026-01-17

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2026-01-17

Around 600 opponents of the World Economic Forum (WEF) have joined a two-day protest march to Davos, which will host the WEF annual meeting next week. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Around 600 people set off from Küblis in southeastern Switzerland on Saturday for the mountain resort of Davos. …

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Six Swiss cantons call for rail network expansion

2026-01-17

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2026-01-17

Six Swiss cantons - Basel City, Basel Country, Geneva, Ticino, Valais and Vaud - have submitted a joint request to the Federal Council demanding urgent investments in rail services and infrastructure to deal with an overloaded network. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "Every day tens of thousands of people …

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Swiss authorities predict worsening housing shortage in 2026

2026-01-17

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2026-01-17

The director of the Federal Office for Housing, Martin Tschirren, expects the housing shortage in Switzerland to get worse this year. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "The causes of the housing shortage cannot be changed so quickly," Tschirren told Blick newspaper in an interview on Saturday. The causes include …

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