Switzerland–United States Trade War: Insights from Prof. Nicolas Bueno in NZZ and SRF

The United States is considering imposing additional tariffs of up to 12.5% on around sixty countries, including Switzerland. This measure is justified by what it considers insufficient efforts to combat the import of goods linked to forced labor. While the United States already has legislation in this area and the European Union will introduce a similar framework by 2027, Switzerland does not currently plan to implement a general import ban. 

For Nicolas Bueno, Professor of Law at UniDistance Suisse, Switzerland should ban the import of products derived from forced labor. However, “such a measure would take time and would not necessarily prevent U.S. sanctions,” he notes. In practice, identifying such products within globalized supply chains represents a significant challenge for authorities, meaning Switzerland would not be immune to American criticism.