Much cheaper roaming charges for abroad will begin in June for Swisscom customers; Swiss watch exports to the US soar before tariffs kick in; and more news in our roundup on Wednesday.
Swisscom is significantly cutting its roaming fees for abroad
Starting on June 1st, Switzerland’s largest telecom operator is launching new, lower-priced roaming packages for surfing in over 100 countries — including Europe, the United States, and the UK — the company announced on Tuesday.
New data packages start at 5.90 francs per gigabyte.
“This means customers will benefit from a price reduction of up to 66 percent for roaming, depending on the country they are in,” Swisscom said.
It added that even more countries will be included in the offer in the autumn.
Swiss watch exports to the United States soar as time ticks on tariffs
Swiss watch exports to the US soared last month as President Donald Trump called time out on tariffs, industry figures showed on Tuesday.
US-bound shipments soared by 149.2 percent in April compared to the same month a year ago, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch industry.
The US president imposed a 10-percent tariff on imports from around the world in early April but hit dozens of countries with steeper duties, with Swiss goods facing a 31 percent levy.
However, Trump paused the higher tariffs until July to give time for negotiations.
The surge in Swiss watch exports to the United States was “mainly the result of early shipments” as higher US tariffs loom, the federation said.
“The sharp rise in exports is therefore more a reflection of a one-off response to an uncertain commercial situation than a genuine sign of a structural strengthening of demand,” it added. (AFP)
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All but one Swiss Alpine passes are now open to traffic
From today at 10 am, the Furka Pass, which connects Realp (UR) with Oberwald (VS), will be open to traffic for the summer months.
Of the all the mountain passes in the Uri, the Oberalp, Klausen, and Gotthard had already lifted their winter closures.
However, as the Susten Pass is not yet totally passable, it will re-open only in mid-June.
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Mind the weekend traffic
As tomorrow is the Ascension, a public holiday, there will be heavy traffic — and likely bottlenecks as well — on various Swiss roads, starting as early as tonight.
This article lets you know what to expect, traffic-wise:
READ ALSO: The jams to avoid on Swiss roads over long weekend
Additionally, most businesses and stores will be closed on Thursday, with only some retailers and services operating on a limited basis:
READ ALSO: What’s open and closed in Switzerland on Ascension public holiday?
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