Category Archive: 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy

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SWISS reallocates unused flight capacity to Europe

2026-04-01

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2026-04-01

Due to the cancellation of flights to the Middle East, Swiss International Air Lines is stepping up its short-haul services to Europe during the summer months. These new flights serve tourist destinations in southern Europe as well as Stockholm, SWISS announced on Wednesday. Between May and September 2026, a total of 74 additional routes will …

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Iran war impacts Swiss fuel pumps, tourism and economy

2026-04-01

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2026-04-01

Fuel prices in Switzerland are already being affected by the conflict in Iran, with the price of diesel rising by 22% to CHF2.13 per litre. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Unleaded 95 petrol rose by 11% to CHF1.82 and unleaded 98 petrol rose by 10% from CHF1.77 to CHF1.95, according …

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Nestlé and ILO examine coffee workers’ rights

2026-04-01

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2026-04-01

Swiss food company Nestlé and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have extended their long-standing collaboration with a two-year project aimed at improving employment conditions and workers' rights in the coffee supply chain. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The "From fair recruitment to worker protection in coffee supply chains" project is …

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Swiss imputed rental value to be abolished in 2029

2026-04-01

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2026-04-01

From the 2029 tax year, the imputed rental value on owner-occupied residential property will no longer be taxable in Switzerland. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox This was decided by the Federal Council on Wednesday, dismissing a request from alpine cantons to delay the tax change until at least 2030. Six …

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Switzerland eases egg import restrictions to meet rising demand

2026-04-01

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2026-04-01

The Swiss government will allow an extra 240 million eggs to be imported into the country with reduced tariffs from May 1. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The Federal Council is allowing more cheaper egg imports at the request of the Swiss egg industry to meet increased demand. The quota …

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Zurich flights increase despite Iran war

2026-04-01

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2026-04-01

Zurich Airport recorded more flight movements in March 2026 than a year earlier, despite the war in Iran. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox A total of 20,630 take-offs and landings were counted, which corresponds to an increase of 3.1% compared to March 2025, according to an analysis of data by … Continue...

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Swiss rockfall image voted press photo of the year

2026-04-01

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2026-04-01

A picture of the devastation caused by a landslide in Blatten, Switzerland, has won a top prize in the Swiss Press Photo competition. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Laurent Gilliéron from the Keystone-SDA news agency won first prize in the topicality category with his picture Blatten 2030 on the landslide …

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Prices for Easter treats rise in Switzerland despite cocoa price slump

2026-03-31

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2026-03-31

Swiss consumers are not being spared from the inflation that has hit Easter treats. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The blame for the price increases is attributed to forward-looking procurement practices implemented when cocoa prices were still sky-high. In the last twelve months cocoa prices have plummeted. Lindt & Sprüngli, …

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Swiss aircraft firm Pilatus sells 12 jets to Indonesian Air Force

2026-03-31

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2026-03-31

Indonesia is ordering twelve PC-24 jets for its air force from Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus. The contract also includes options for further aircraft as well as equipment, spare parts, training and support. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The PC-24s will be used by the Indonesian Air Force to train transport …

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Swiss study finds early sanctions could have prevented Ukraine war

2026-03-31

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2026-03-31

A new study by Swiss researchers suggests that an early and credible threat of tough economic sanctions could have prevented the war in Ukraine. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The researchers carried out a "counterfactual" experiment using computer-aided modelling, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) announced on Tuesday. A virtual …

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Swiss banks prepare for Gulf clients

2026-03-31

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2026-03-31

The war in Iran is having unexpected consequences, such as renewed interest in Switzerland as a financial centre. Some clients are already transferring funds, or even considering relocating, as the conflict affects a region that had promoted economic and financial stability. We cannot yet speak of an exodus. But the signs are becoming increasingly clear. …

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Swiss lawmakers signal compromise on $22bn UBS capital plan

2026-03-31

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2026-03-31

Swiss lawmakers have assured senior UBS executives that they will water down stringent new rules as Bern finalises a decision on how much capital the country’s largest bank should hold. Senior parliamentarians have privately told UBS executives they would come up with a compromise on the finance ministry’s proposals, which would increase its capital requirements …

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Empty shop windows hurt attractiveness of Swiss cities

2026-03-30

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2026-03-30

As online shopping expands at breakneck speed, falling sales are forcing bricks and mortar Swiss retailers to close their doors, particularly in town centres. To bring deserted shop windows back to life, locals and municipalities are taking action. In January, Guillaume “Toto” Morand announced the closure of his funeral home in Geneva after 28 years …

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Switzerland faces a steep energy bill due to the Middle East conflict 

2026-03-30

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2026-03-30

The global rise in oil prices due to the conflict in the Middle East has made the import of fossil fuels more expensive. For Switzerland, the additional energy costs could amount to nearly CHF5 billion ($6.3 billion) per year, according to a researcher. The military escalation in the Persian Gulf is driving up the prices …

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Switzerland’s wine-making president pushes to restrict imports

2026-03-30

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2026-03-30

Effort to boost local producers draws ire from foreign rivals and domestic merchants. Switzerland is proposing to restrict wine imports under a plan from the country’s president, a trained winemaker with a family vineyard near Lake Geneva. Guy Parmelin wants to restrict merchants from buying foreign wine unless they also buy or process Swiss grapes, …

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The US plans to buy $10 million worth of Swiss cheese – just not from Switzerland

2026-03-30

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2026-03-30

US tariffs are being used to procure Swiss cheese produced by American farmers under a special provision to absorb surplus production and protect rural jobs. On February 19, United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) intention to purchase up to $263 million (CHF208 million) in dairy and …

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Gang steals CHF1.7m worth of cars and number plates in eastern Switzerland

2026-03-29

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2026-03-29

Thieves stole luxury cars and licence plates on Saturday worth over CHF1.7 million ($2.1 million) in cantons St Gallen and Thurgau, Swiss police reported on Sunday. Police arrested three people from France. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox In Muolen, canton St Gallen, thieves stole two cars worth a total of …

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ICRC president urges Switzerland to stand firmly by international law

2026-03-29

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2026-03-29

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, has called on Switzerland to reaffirm its full commitment to international law, saying this is the most effective way to safeguard the security of its own population. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox “It’s not enough to just …

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Switzerland to extend US trade talks beyond March deadline, says Parmelin

2026-03-29

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2026-03-29

Switzerland will continue negotiating a trade agreement with the United States beyond the planned March 31 deadline, Swiss President Guy Parmelin said on Saturday on the sidelines of the Swiss People's Party's delegates’ assembly. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The March 31 deadline is “no longer valid”, Parmelin told the …

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Swiss apricot farmers grapple with frosty conditions

2026-03-28

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2026-03-28

Fruit growers in canton Valais in southern Switzerland are anxiously watching the weather as frost threatens the region’s apricot trees. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox "The first torches were lit around 11pm," Jean-Noël Devènes, a fruit grower in Baar, near Nendaz, told the Keystone-SDA news agency. He described a "nasty …

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