Swiss official says country may have to accept US tariffs as permanent

ZURICH, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Switzerland should prepare for the likelihood that U.S. tariffs will remain in place permanently, the head of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) was quoted as ​saying on Sunday, despite last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Switzerland ‌was one of the countries in the sights of U.S. President Donald Trump after he unleashed swingeing tariffs on global trade partners last year, being hit by the highest tariff rate in Europe before it was eventually lowered.

The U.S. Supreme Court ‌last ​week struck down Trump’s tariff programme, only for ⁠him to announce a ⁠15% across-the-board tariff in response. Helene Budliger Artieda of SECO, the body that negotiated tariffs with the United States at a technical level, told Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick that she expected the tariffs to ​persist.

“I suspect we will have to come to terms with U.S. tariffs,” said Budliger Artieda. She added the U.S. government had indicated ⁠alternative legal avenues to maintain tariffs, such ⁠as invoking national security provisions or citing unfair trade ​practices.

Swiss authorities are currently assessing the impact of Trump’s 15% global tariff ​announcement. Budliger Artieda said the overall level of customs duties ‌on Swiss goods was likely to remain broadly unchanged.

“It is clear that the U.S. administration remains committed to its trade policy goals: reducing the U.S. trade deficit, achieving greater reciprocity in international trade, and bringing production ⁠back to the United States.”

Bern and Washington reached a framework agreement in November to avert a full-scale trade war. Under the deal, tariffs on Swiss ⁠exports to the ‌United States were reduced from 39% to 15%, aligning ⁠them with the rate applied to European Union ​exporters.

In return, ‌Swiss companies committed to investments in the United ​States totalling $200 ⁠billion by the end of 2028.

The two sides at the time pledged to finalise that agreement by the end of March, and those negotiations are ongoing, said Budliger Artieda.

She also said that SECO had been in touch with U.S. trade officials after the court’s ruling.

(Reporting by Oliver Hirt; editing ​by Matthias Williams)