ZURICH, July 24 (Reuters) – Switzerland takes note of the announced additional U.S. tariffs but rejects allegations underlying the forced labour investigation, the government said on Friday.
With tariffs of up to 12.5% on Swiss imports, effective July 24, the United States is still adhering to a joint statement of November 2025, the Swiss statement added.
The decision to impose tariffs on Swiss imports based on allegedly insufficient measures against forced labour is neither understandable nor justified, Swiss business association Economiesuisse said.
“There is no evidence that Swiss supply chains are being used to smuggle goods produced through forced labour into the U.S. market,” the group added, calling allegations of forced labor unfounded.
“Forced labour is already prohibited in Switzerland under constitutional, civil and criminal law.”
The U.S. decision puts Swiss companies at a disadvantage to competitors from regions with lower tariff rates, such as the European Union and Britain, Economiesuisse added.
“The new tariff rate increases the costs of Swiss exports without eliminating the existing uncertainty,” the group said, referring to an ongoing Section 301 investigation by the U.S. into alleged overcapacity in industrial production.
(Reporting by Ariane Luthi, Editing by Miranda Murray)
