Swiss President Heads to US for Key Trade Talks and Tariff Negotiations
Overview of Swiss President's North American Visit and Trade Objectives
Background on Tariff Disputes and Preliminary Agreements
ZURICH, June 25 (Reuters) - Swiss President Guy Parmelin will visit the United States and meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer next week, the government said on Thursday, as Bern seeks to formalise a preliminary deal with the Trump administration on tariffs.
Parmelin, who is also Switzerland's economy minister, is going to the United States as part of a June 29 to July 9 visit to North America that will also take him to Canada and Mexico.
Details of U.S. Tariffs on Swiss Products
Switzerland was last summer subject to the highest U.S. tariffs in Europe when President Donald Trump set a 39% duty on products imported from the country.
Progress Toward Formalizing Tariff Reductions
In November, Bern sealed the initial deal that cut the tariffs to 15%, mirroring the rate for the European Union. Switzerland later began talks to formalise that accord.
Additional Diplomatic and Economic Engagements
Visit to Canada and Mexico
Parmelin will attend Switzerland's soccer World Cup match in Vancouver on July 2, and for the final leg of the trip travels to Mexico, where talks are planned with President Claudia Sheinbaum and various ministers, the economy ministry said.
Updating the EFTA-Mexico Free Trade Agreement
One of Switzerland's medium-term goals is to update the free trade agreement between the European Free Trade Association and Mexico that has been in force for around 25 years, it added.
Switzerland's Role in EFTA
Switzerland is the biggest economy inside EFTA, which also comprises Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
(Reporting by Dave Graham, Editing by Linda Pasquini)
