Donald Trump is expected to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this January, and Swiss exporters battered by 39% American tariffs are hoping the visit might bring relief. The Federal Council, they say, should seize the chance to appeal directly to the man wielding the tariff hammer, reports SRF.
A report from CH Media, still unconfirmed, set tongues wagging in business circles this week: Mr Trump plans to return to Davos for the third time as president. Many in Switzerland’s export industries—particularly machinery and precision tools—see the gathering as a last, best hope for resolving the trade spat.
Elated by the prospect, Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter, a centrist MP and president of the Basel Chambers of Commerce, said the WEF offered a new window for negotiations.
Delays and dwindling patience
Bern had hoped to reach an agreement with Washington by the end of October 2025. Over the summer, the Federal Council tabled a new offer, including investment pledges and other concessions. But, insiders say, Mr Trump has shown little interest in talking tariffs of late, and a deal may remain elusive well into next year.
Impatience is mounting in the mechanical-engineering sector. The trade association Swissmem reported a sharp drop (-14%) in American orders in the third quarter. Its president, Martin Hirzel, warned that firms cannot wait until Davos for a breakthrough. The WEF would certainly be a great opportunity, he said, but we need a solution much sooner to remove these 39% tariffs.
A change at the top
In January, Guy Parmelin will succeed Karin Keller-Sutter as president of the Federal Council—and, by protocol, will host Mr Trump in Davos. The chemistry between the former and the American leader was said to be frosty, which may partly explain the diplomatic stalemate. The switch, suggests Ms Schneider-Schneiter, could certainly help, noting that Mr Parmelin, in his time as economy minister, had already established contact with Mr Trump.
The WEF declined to confirm Mr Trump’s attendance, saying only that invitations had gone to all G20 leaders, including him. As ever with Mr Trump, little is certain. The fate of Switzerland’s tariffs—and of Davos’s guest list—will depend, as so often, on his mood. This week he called off trade talks with Canada’s premier after being angered by an anti-tariff advert, reported the BBC.
More on this:
SRF article (in German)
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