Trade negotiations between Switzerland and the United States will extend past their original March deadline, Swiss President Guy Parmelin announced this weekend.
The Alpine nation faced Europe’s steepest U.S. tariffs after former President Donald Trump implemented a 39% duty on Swiss imports last August. Switzerland successfully negotiated a preliminary agreement in November that reduced those tariffs to 15%.
Washington had pushed for finalizing this preliminary arrangement by March’s end, but recent developments have complicated the timeline. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Trump’s global tariff system in February, leading to new 10% worldwide duties.
Additional uncertainty emerged in March when the United States initiated fresh trade investigations targeting key trading partners, including Switzerland.
Speaking to state broadcaster RSI over the weekend, Parmelin, who serves dual roles as Swiss president and economy minister, stated the March deadline was “de facto” no longer viable and negotiations would proceed beyond that timeframe.
Sources close to the discussions indicate the next phase of Swiss-American trade talks will likely occur in April.
