Switzerland may need to accept US tariffs as permanent, trade chief says

SelfRugger · 2026-02-23T04:25:50+00:00

Switzerland's trade chief indicates that U.S. tariffs may become a permanent aspect of trade relations despite a recent Supreme Court ruling. The U.S. could use alternative legal avenues to maintain tariffs, impacting Swiss exports.

SelfRugger

2026-02-23 04:25:50

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Switzerland may need to accept US tariffs as permanent, trade chief says

Investing.com

Sun, February 22, 2026 at 11:49 PM GMT+9 1 min read

Investing.com – Switzerland may have to accept that U.S. tariffs will remain a lasting feature of trade relations despite last week’s Supreme Court decision, a senior Swiss trade official said in comments to SonntagsBlick.

Helene Budliger Artieda, head of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), said she expects Washington to pursue alternative legal routes to maintain import duties even after the court struck down President Donald Trump’s emergency-powers tariff program.

“I suspect we will have to come to terms with U.S. tariffs,” Budliger Artieda told SonntagsBlick, adding that the U.S. administration has signaled it could rely on national-security provisions or unfair-trade investigations to keep tariffs in place.

Her remarks come after Trump announced a 15% across-the-board tariff following the ruling, reinforcing expectations among trading partners that U.S. trade policy will remain protectionist.

Swiss authorities are currently assessing the impact of the latest measures, though Budliger Artieda said overall customs duties on Swiss exports to the United States are likely to remain broadly unchanged.

Bern and Washington reached a framework agreement in November aimed at easing tensions after Switzerland was initially hit with one of the highest tariff rates in Europe. Under that arrangement, tariffs on Swiss goods were reduced to 15%, while Swiss companies pledged up to $200 billion in U.S. investments by the end of 2028.

Negotiations to finalize the agreement are ongoing, with both sides aiming to conclude talks by the end of March, she said, adding that SECO has remained in contact with U.S. trade officials following the court’s decision.

Switzerland may need to accept US tariffs as permanent, trade chief says

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