Very close” exchanges between Berne and the business world
Keystone-SDA
The Swiss delegation that travelled to Washington has returned from talks on tariffs in the United States. The negotiations are now being conducted under the aegis of the government and the federal administration.
“The federal administration has very close and regular contacts with the Swiss economy at all levels. Such cooperation has always been a hallmark of Switzerland and is also true in this case,” the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) wrote to Keystone-SDA, referring to the negotiations on the 39% tariff rate imposed by the US on Swiss goods.
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In addition to Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and State Secretary for International Financial Matters Daniela Stoffel, who left for Washington on Tuesday and returned to Switzerland on Thursday after an express visit, Switzerland had sent a SECO delegation to the Washington, led by its head Helene Budliger Artieda.
A number of top Swiss business leaders were also present. Prior to her meeting on Wednesday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Keller-Sutter and her delegation met Swiss business leaders, including Chairman of Roche Severin Schwan and Alfred Gantner and Marcel Erni, founders of the Partners Group investment fund.
The group, which also included Daniel Jaeggi, chairman of global energy and commodities trader Mercuria, discussed the tariff situation, according to a government source quoted during the week by Reuters. Other meetings with heads of Swiss companies based in the US had also been scheduled.
Adapted from French by DeepL/ac
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