Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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Court orders Swiss government to disclose Covid vaccine contracts

2026-02-17

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2026-02-17

The Swiss government must disclose contracts concluded with pharmaceutical companies for the procurement of Covid vaccines. The Federal Administrative Court has upheld the appeals of three private individuals. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The plaintiffs requested access to the contracts concluded by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) …

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Investigation into price fixing expands to 20 Swiss construction firms

2026-02-17

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2026-02-17

The Competition Commission (Comco) is extending its investigation into possible bid-rigging agreements in the canton of Jura. Based on previous investigations, this will now be extended to a total of 20 companies, Comco announced on Tuesday. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Initial investigations into six companies had already been …

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Swiss supermarket chain Coop recalls chocolate products

2026-02-16

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2026-02-16

Swiss supermarket chain Coop is recalling two Halba brand chocolate products that may contain metallic particles, which represents a health hazard. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox These products must not be consumed, the organisation Recall Swiss said on Monday. The recall concerns "Halba Maxi Branche Classic" products in 45 …

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Pharma company CSL Behring plans Swiss job cuts

2026-02-16

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2026-02-16

Australian pharmaceutical company CSL Behring is planning to cut jobs at its site in the city of Bern. The company confirmed a report in the Capital to the news agency Keystone-SDA. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox This "further development" is necessary "in order to be successful in the long …

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Swiss authorities investigate baby milk recalls

2026-02-16

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2026-02-16

The Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) has opened an investigation into recalls of infant milk contaminated with cereulid toxin. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox FSVO deputy director Michael Beer told the Blick newspaper that "laboratory analyses are in progress" and that "the next step will be …

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Swiss economy grew slightly at tail end of 2025

2026-02-16

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2026-02-16

The Swiss economy improved slightly in the fourth quarter of last year, with gross domestic product (GDP) up 0.2% on the previous quarter, according to an initial estimate from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco). + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Economists surveyed by the AWP agency were expecting …

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Switzerland ‘considers European alternative’ to Patriot missiles

2026-02-16

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2026-02-16

Switzerland is reportedly weighing up a European alternative to Patriot missiles following delays in the delivery of the United States defence system. Such a move could be contentious, considering the economic stakes and tensions with Washington. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Washington has postponed the delivery of five Patriot …

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Switzerland ‘considers European alternative’ to Patriot missiles

2026-02-16

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2026-02-16

Switzerland is reportedly weighing up a European alternative to Patriot missiles following delays in the delivery of the United States defence system. Such a move could be contentious, considering the economic stakes and tensions with Washington. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Washington has postponed the delivery of five Patriot …

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Swiss favour smartphone payments over cards and cash

2026-02-16

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2026-02-16

Smartphones have for the first time become the most popular means of payment in Switzerland, ahead of cards and cash, according to a Visa survey. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Some 28% of the Swiss population prefer mobile payment, according to the Visa Payment Monitor 2026. This is closely …

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Franc’s relentless rise alarms Swiss companies

2026-02-16

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2026-02-16

The franc’s relentless rise is “undermining the competitiveness” of Swiss exporters, trade groups have warned, as companies from Roche to Swatch warn on the hit from the currency’s trade war rally. The franc has risen 3% this year, on top of a 14% gain last year, taking it to CHF0.77 to the dollar for the … Continue reading...

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Epstein links in Switzerland, exploited worker’s deportation threat, a carnival water pistol seized

2026-02-13

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Here are three stories from Switzerland you might have missed this week. Visit Swissinfo to read the latest. --- 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.

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Swiss pharma’s global success meets worries at home

2026-02-13

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2026-02-13

When Switzerland’s two biggest pharmaceutical companies are doing well, that’s usually a reason to celebrate. Swissinfo journalist Jessica Davis Plüss examines why Swiss politicians and industry leaders are instead calling for urgent reforms to keep the country attractive to pharma. Last year was a good year for Swiss pharma. Roche’s sales rose 7% (at constant …

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Truth or tale: Does Switzerland have strict laws on naming children?

2026-02-12

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A reader asked whether Switzerland has particularly strict laws on naming children compared to other countries. The answer: it’s complicated. Visit Swissinfo to read more. --- 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...

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Nespresso cocaine traffickers get 15 years in prison

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

Three drugs traffickers have been handed 15 year jail terms after shipping a 500kg cocaine haul through Nespresso facilities in Switzerland. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The Criminal Court of Basel-Country handed out the jail terms after the trio had tried unsuccessfully to retreive the drugs in the Swiss …

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Air Canada fined for flouting Swiss rules

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

Air Canada has lost a court appeal against a CHF144,000 fine for transporting nine passengers to Zurich without valid Swiss entry documents. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Air Canada has been sanctioned several times by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) since 2015 for transporting people to Switzerland who …

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Swiss home electronics market resumes growth

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

Sales in the Swiss home electronics sector rose slightly in 2025 following two years of decline. Market researchers expect the recovery to continue throughout 2026. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Swiss home electronics retailers generated sales of CHF5.3 billion in 2025, which corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 1.6%. …

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Italian court quashes Swiss industrialist asbestos jail term

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

A nine-year Italian prison sentence handed out to Swiss industrialist Stephan Schmidheiney, relating to asbestos deaths, has been quashed because the 2025 verdict was not translated into German. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The former executive at Swiss company Eternit was handed a nine years and six months jail …

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Swiss voters to decide on initiative to reduce the media licence fee

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

On March 8, the Swiss will vote on an initiative that wants to almost halve the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC)’s television and radio licence fee for households and exempt companies from paying it. We explain what the vote is about here: Here is all you need to know about the upcoming votes:

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Swisscom profits shrink after Vodafone Italia integration

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

The biggest acquisition in Swisscom's history is having an impact on the company's results. Profits at the Swiss telecoms firm plummeted due to the costs of integrating the acquired Vodafone Italia. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Net profit fell by 17.6% to CHF 1.27 billion last year, announced Swisscom. …

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Sustainable soy: When collaborating to protect the Amazon backfires  

2026-02-12

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2026-02-12

Commodity firms working together to source deforestation-free soy in Brazil are being investigated under anti-cartel laws. They also risk losing tax benefits due to pressure from powerful farming lobbies. Businesses selling prostheses, gas water-heaters, electricity meters, cement and even tech giants like Apple and Meta have recently come under fire from Brazil’s competition watchdog, the …

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