Post by Sven Friebe

Last Wednesday, the SAIS Alumni Chapter in Zurich gathered to discuss the state of US-Swiss trade relations with Dr. Stefan Brupbacher, Director of Swissmem and fellow SAIS alum, and Prof. Arthur Appleton, Senior Trade Policy Attorney at Appleton Luff and Senior Adjunct Professor at SAIS Europe. Despite the widespread relief following the recent agreement to lower the tariff rate for Swiss exports to the US from 39% to 15%, the new rate remains distortive and departs from long-standing US policy. As Prof. Appleton noted, hopes for freer trade increasingly rest on multilateral frameworks that exclude the United States but continue to pursue low tariff levels among their members. Dr. Brupbacher emphasized the strong competitiveness of Swiss manufacturing, which has successfully navigated decades of currency appreciation while maintaining a high capacity for innovation. He added that Switzerland’s many “hidden champions” are well placed to hold their market position compared with EU competitors now that tariff levels are aligned. Thank you all for an insightful evening and the lively discussion! #saiseurope #johnshopkinssaiseurope #tradepolicy #switzerland