Switzerland’s long-mooted trade negotiations with the United States can now proceed. On Wednesday the Federal Council approved the final negotiating mandate for a tariff agreement, clearing the way for formal talks with Washington, reported RTS.
Parliamentary foreign-affairs committees and the cantons were consulted in advance. On the basis of their feedback, the government made modest clarifications, it said. Should negotiations stray beyond the scope of the mandate—by adding new areas or themes—the parliamentary committees and the cantons, via the Conference of Cantonal Governments, will be consulted again rather than merely informed.
The mandate builds on a declaration of intent signed on November 14th, under which Switzerland and the United States agreed to move swiftly towards a legally binding trade accord. That declaration, which entered into force in early December with retroactive effect, reduced tariffs from 39% to 15%.
In mid-December both of parliament’s foreign-affairs committees endorsed the draft mandate. The Council of States’ committee offered no public detail of its deliberations, nor did it say whether it sought changes—an exercise in discretion intended to avoid weakening the government’s hand. The National Council’s committee, by contrast, pressed for clarifications on data protection and stressed that any mooted investment of CHF 200 billion in the United States would be private, not state-backed. It rejected proposals framed around environmental sustainability, including restrictions on meat imports and vehicle approvals.
Washington has signalled impatience. Last month it said it wanted a legally binding tariff deal by March 31st, failing which the White House would review and reconsider, as appropriate the rate applied to Swiss exports.
Public opinion is not particularly enthusiastic towards the deal. In a poll conducted by Switzerland’s public broadcaster, 63% of respondents said the outcome looked like a bad deal for Switzerland.
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