Did a phone call with Switzerland’s president provoke Donald Trump into slapping punitive tariffs on the country? According to SonntagsBlick, citing unnamed American sources, Karin Keller-Sutter, Switzerland’s president, so irritated the US president during an exchange on 31 July 2025, that he imposed a 39% tariff on Swiss goods—the highest rate imposed on any developed economy.
The paper claims she lectured Mr Trump for half an hour on economic politics, prompting him to tell aides he would no longer negotiate with her.
The spat appears personal. Later, on television, Mr Trump referred to the Swiss president as Switzerland’s prime minister, accusing her of not listening.
The Swiss government insists negotiations are continuing and denies that Ms Keller-Sutter is unwelcome in Washington.
In addition, not everyone buys the story. Laurent Wehrli, a parliamentarian and chair of the foreign-affairs committee, told RTS he thinks that American officials may be using Ms Keller-Sutter as a scapegoat. He noted that Switzerland is a major investor in America, where Swiss firms employ more than 600,000 people, and that the country represents American interests in Iran. Mr Wehrli argued that firmness, not flattery, is the best way to deal with Mr Trump. Panic in the gold market, following the introduction of 39% tariffs on Swiss bullion, forced Trump to change his mind.
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