US-Switzerland duties: rate down to 12.5%, but the risk remains (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• The customs rate that the United States applies to Swiss goods has stabilized at 12.5%
• This value is lower than the negotiated ceiling of 15% and the peak of 39% imposed by Donald Trump in August 2025

Key facts

• What: US-Swiss Duties
• When: August 7, 2026
• Where: United States and Switzerland
• Who: US Government and Swiss Confederation
• Amount: 12.5%

On 1 August 2025, President Trump had raised the rate on Swiss goods to 39%, following the failure of bilateral negotiations. The turning point came in November: a new agreement set a maximum ceiling of 15% on most Swiss goods, with retroactive effect to 14 November 2025.

US-Swiss Duties: A Summary of Key Facts

• When: The agreement was reached on 14 November 2025 and has retroactive effect as of this date.
• Who: The agreement was reached between the US Government and the Swiss Confederation.
• What: The agreement set a maximum ceiling of 15% on most Swiss goods.
• Amount: The customs rate applied to Swiss goods has been set at 12.5%.

Examples with real numbers

• Swiss coffee : If a coffee shop in Zurich wants to import coffee from an American producer, the customs rate applied will be 12.5%. If the coffee shop imports 10,000 kilos of coffee, the cost of customs will be US $1,250.
• Products

Operational details

The agreement reached at the end of 2025 eased the pressure on exporting companies, but an ongoing US investigation into global industrial overcapacity could push tariffs back up in the coming months. The Federal Council gave official notice of this on 10 December 2025. In return, the Confederation lowered its rates on fish, seafood, and some agricultural products, and granted the United States annual duty-free quotas: 500 tons of beef, 1,000 tons of bison meat, and 1,500 tons of poultry meat.

The new agreement provides for the application of a tariff of 12.5% for Swiss products imported into the United States, compared to the previous 17.5%. This could have a significant impact on companies exporting products such as cheese, wine and agricultural products. For example, the famous cheese factory in Gruyères, in the canton of Fribourg, could benefit from an increase in exports to the United States.

However, the US investigation could push the duties back if the US authorities decide to impose new tariffs to protect domestic production. This could have negative consequences for Swiss companies exporting products to the United States. In addition, the delay in concluding the agreement could have caused economic damage to the companies that scheduled their exports according to the tariffs previously applied.

The Federal Council has

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Key points

For those who work in an exporting company, the difference is measured in orders, company margins and, indirectly, in employment stability. Ticino is home to a significant part of the Swiss machinery, electromechanical and precision instruments industry (the so-called MEM sector), often linked to supply chains that also export to the United States.

The recent reduction in the US duty rate on Switzerland, from 25% to 12.5%, might seem like good news for the country's exporting companies. However, the risk of new US protective measures has not disappeared. In fact, on 6 February 2020, the Swiss Federal Council decided to increase the share of imports of precision machinery and instruments from over 10,000 Swiss francs (CHF) to over 12,000 CHF, with the aim of protecting the domestic industry. 📊

The MEM sector is one of the main industries in Ticino, with companies such as Satis, Tornos and Starrag engaged in the production of precision machinery and instruments. These companies export a significant portion of their products to the United States, where they are in high demand for their quality and precision. However, the reduction in the US duty rate may only be a short breath for these companies.

In fact, on 1 March 2020, the Federal Council decided to increase the share of imports of precision machinery and instruments from over CHF 10,000 to over CHF 12,000. This decision has been made

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Source: tio.ch