“We’re counting on the politicians to negotiate,” said Christoph Birchler, CEO of St Gallen-based Maestrani.
Keystone-SDA
Swiss chocolate manufacturer Maestrani has suspended its deliveries to the US since the announcement of the US tariffs. Stocks can be used to bridge sales there for a few weeks. In the meantime, the company is hoping that politicians will be successful in their negotiations.
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The stocks in the US allow the company to wait and see for the time being with US tariffs of 39%. “We’re counting on the politicians to negotiate,” Christoph Birchler, CEO of St Gallen-based Maestrani, told the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA.
+ What do 39% US tariffs mean for the Swiss economy?
The low margins on chocolate would not allow the company to bear the tariffs itself. Instead, prices would have to be increased. Such a price shock would in turn jeopardise the company’s competitiveness in the US.
As a family business founded in 1852, Maestrani is present in the world’s largest chocolate market, which is also strategically important, Birchler said. “But we’re not one of the big players.” His company currently generates less than 10% of its turnover in the American market.
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Moving production to the US is out of the question for Maestrani. “We make a Swiss product, with Swiss sugar and Swiss milk.” Swissmade is a central component of the brand, he said. “Our product has to be made here.” At the same time, short-time working is not an issue for the company, he added.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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