Switzerland will persist in talks with Washington to convert a preliminary agreement reached in late 2025 - which lowered U.S. tariffs on Swiss products from 39% to 15% - into a legally enforceable pact, the Swiss Economy Ministry said on Monday.
The ministry reaffirmed that it remains faithful to the negotiating mandate set by the government. It highlighted that, despite a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down the tariffs introduced by President Donald Trump, stakeholders in Switzerland have not requested a halt to the bilateral discussions.
According to the Economy Ministry, the primary aim of the ongoing negotiations is to secure a legally binding arrangement that would offer Swiss companies the highest degree of legal certainty possible. The government said it is retaining that aim as the talks proceed.
Officials did not announce a timetable for concluding the binding agreement. They also did not provide further detail on specific legal terms under discussion. The statement focused squarely on the government’s intent to continue negotiations and on the absence of domestic demands to suspend the process in light of the U.S. court ruling.
The developments follow a preliminary deal dated late 2025 that reduced the U.S. tariff rate applied to Swiss goods to 15%, down from 39%. That preliminary measure remains the reference point for the current push to formalize commitments in a legally binding text.
Context and next steps
The Economy Ministry’s remarks underscore a continued diplomatic and legal effort to translate a negotiated tariff reduction into durable terms that would bind both parties. The government framed legal certainty for Swiss firms as the central justification for seeking a binding agreement.
How long negotiations will take, and whether the parties will reach the sought-after legally binding arrangement, remain open questions. The ministry’s statement did not indicate any change to its objectives following the U.S. Supreme Court decision.