“We have to live with customs duties”, warns SECO
Keystone-SDA
The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) is calling for patience after the US Supreme Court ruled that some of the US tariffs were illegal.
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“It cannot be ruled out that the US administration will introduce new customs duties in a new decree,” it said.
At the moment, certain things are not yet clear,” said SECO head Helene Budliger Artieda in an interview with SonntagsBlick. “We need to wait a few days.” She assumes that the tariffs will remain in force whatever happens.
The United States has in fact announced that there are other legal possibilities, in particular section 232, relating to national security, or section 301, relating to unfair trading practices, Budliger Artieda noted. “I suspect we’ll have to live with the US tariffs.”
+ US tax yo-yo blurs situation for Swiss companies
On Friday evening, US President Donald Trump set the new tariffs at 15% for 150 days, the maximum authorised by a 1974 trade law. Switzerland is examining whether this measure also applies to Swiss goods, which until now have been subject to a rate of less than 15%, Budliger Artieda said.
Challenges and opportunities
This new situation could offer opportunities as well as challenges, according to the Secretary of State. “The primary objective remains to preserve jobs and Switzerland as a production location, and to guarantee our companies the best possible access to the US market, which is very important.”
+ Swiss politicians decry ‘gold bar diplomacy’ in Trump trade deal
On Friday, the US Supreme Court declared the tariffs decreed by the American president to be partially illegal. This decision concerns the tariffs presented as “reciprocal” by the US government, but not those applied to specific sectors of activity, such as automobiles or steel and aluminium.
Trump retaliated on Friday evening by introducing new global tariffs, first at 10%, then at 15%, applicable to all countries. They are due to come into force on Tuesday.
Adapted from French by AI/ts
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