Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter is about to fulfill with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday, in a last-ditch effort to stop the imposition of harsh new tariffs on Swiss items.
According to the U.S. State Department’s public schedule, Keller-Sutter and her delegation will maintain a closed-door assembly with Secretary Rubio at 10:15 a.m. native time. The talks are anticipated to final roughly one hour.
The tariffs, introduced final Friday by U.S. President Donald Trump, have despatched shockwaves via Switzerland’s export-driven financial system. The Swiss authorities has expressed alarm over the choice, which it says threatens important industries and longstanding commerce ties.
“The U.S. is one of Switzerland’s largest trading partners,” an official in Keller-Sutter’s workplace stated. “We are hoping for a constructive dialogue that will help avoid unnecessary damage to both sides.”
Swiss exports together with watches, equipment, and chocolate are anticipated to be hardest hit by the brand new tariff, which far exceeds the degrees agreed between the U.S. and different main buying and selling companions just like the European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan.
Washington has not publicly commented on whether or not it’s open to delaying or lowering the tariffs.
The end result of Wednesday’s assembly might have important penalties for Swiss-U.S. commerce relations, in addition to for Swiss producers who rely closely on American customers.
