ZURICH — The Swiss government is pushing back against the United States after new tariffs on Swiss goods took effect Thursday, calling the forced labor allegations behind the trade action unjustified.
The tariffs, which can reach as high as 12.5% on Swiss imports, went into force on July 24. While acknowledging the new trade measures, Switzerland’s government stated that the U.S. is still operating within the framework of a joint agreement reached in November 2025.
Swiss business organization Economiesuisse went further, saying the U.S. decision to impose tariffs based on claims that Switzerland has not done enough to stop forced labor in its supply chains is neither logical nor warranted.
“There is no evidence that Swiss supply chains are being used to smuggle goods produced through forced labor into the U.S. market,” the group stated, calling the accusations completely without merit.
Economiesuisse also pointed out that forced labor is already banned in Switzerland under the country’s constitutional, civil, and criminal laws.
The organization warned that the new tariff rate puts Swiss exporters at a disadvantage compared to competitors from places like the European Union and Britain, which face lower tariff rates when selling to the U.S.
“The new tariff rate increases the costs of Swiss exports without eliminating the existing uncertainty,” Economiesuisse said, referencing a continuing U.S. Section 301 investigation into what American officials describe as overcapacity in Swiss industrial production.
