The idea that Swiss supermarkets would be flooded with American meat imports is exaggerated, says Michel Darbellay, deputy director of the Swiss Farmers’ Union.
Keystone / Christian Beutler
Listen to the article
Listening the article
Toggle language selector
English (US)
English (British)
Generated with artificial intelligence.
The recent US tariff rate cut to 15% and the details of the framework trade agreement with Washington have raised questions about the consequences for the Swiss agricultural sector. But a senior Swiss Farmers’ Union official plays down the impact of the deal.
This content was published on
November 16, 2025 – 11:23
+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox
The agreement announced on Friday between Switzerland and the US to slash tariffs on imported Swiss products to 15% from 39% will allow Switzerland to import more American meat.
Reacting to the news, Green Party leader Lisa Mazzone declared that “the Swiss economic elite and the Federal Council are bowing down to Donald Trump” and that Swiss agriculture, along with consumer interests, had been sacrificed.
Pierre-André Page, a farmer and Swiss People’s Party parliamentarian, told Swiss public television RTS: “I am not worried about this deal; it is an important contract for Gruyère cheese production. On my farm we produce Gruyère and exports are significant. With the reduction of taxes from 39% to 15%, it is still a tax, but it is already much better.”
More
More
Foreign Affairs
Switzerland secures US tariff rate cut to 15%
This content was published on
Nov 14, 2025
The United States will cut its tariffs on goods from Switzerland to 15% from 39% under a new framework trade agreement.
Read more: Switzerland secures US tariff rate cut to 15%
Sense of relief
Michel Darbellay, deputy director of the Swiss Farmers’ Union, says it’s important to underline the sense of relief following this agreement. “It’s a relief first for the dairy market, for cheese exports, but also for Swiss chocolate. We know that the dairy market is currently facing difficulties, and it’s also important to have these outlets in the United States. Today, the dairy sector has invested to maintain its presence on US shelves, and it’s essential that we can maintain this market and this export potential,” he explained.
While acknowledging certain concerns over US meat imports, he cautioned: “If things are done fairly, that is to say within the framework of import quotas, we can view things rather calmly.”
Meat concerns
The Swiss concessions cover 3,000 tons of US meat, including 500 tons of beef, 1,000 tons of bison, and 1,500 tons of poultry. These volumes are “significantly lower than the quantities we import annually,” said Darbellay. By comparison, in 2024, Switzerland imported just over 100,000 tons of meat, primarily from Germany and Austria. Meanwhile, the country produced 450,000 tons of meat domestically.
For the Swiss Farmers’ Union, the key is that these imports remain strictly regulated.
“If it can be integrated within the framework of the tariff quota, there will be no additional pressure on Swiss agriculture,” he added.
Darbellay pointed out that “chlorine-treated chicken is banned” in Switzerland and that the industry will ensure compliance with non-tariff measures. Hormone-treated beef, however, is subject to mandatory declaration.
He said the idea that Swiss supermarkets would be flooded with American meat imports is exaggerated. Most imported chicken today comes from Brazil or Hungary, and consumer preference remains clearly Swiss. “We have the strictest animal welfare regulations in the world, traceability, and this trust between producer and consumer,” he said.
More
More
Trade policy
Lessons from the US-Swiss tariff dispute: when the ends justify the means
This content was published on
Nov 15, 2025
Tariff negotiations with the United States have been a steep learning curve for Switzerland and its trade diplomacy — and an unprecedented rollercoaster ride.
Read more: Lessons from the US-Swiss tariff dispute: when the ends justify the means
Farmer Daniel Schwager echoed this sentiment. “Today, we produce about 60% of the poultry consumed in Switzerland, and the other 40% is imported. And then, in supermarkets, it’s the consumer who makes the choice between the Swiss product and the imported one,” he told RTS.
While the agreement with Washington is still considered manageable, the global context is more worrying. “You have to look at the big picture: the agreement with Mercosur, other free trade agreements… Swiss agriculture is under strong international pressure,” said Darbellay.
In this regard, he says it is “incomprehensible” that the Federal Council is considering cost savings in the agricultural sector, particularly through the 2027 relief programme. The Swiss Farmers’ Union demands that agriculture be exempted from the government’s savings package, especially as new commercial concessions are accumulating.
More
More
Trade policy
US tariff rate cut: Swiss press are upbeat but warn of high cost
This content was published on
Nov 15, 2025
The Swiss press breathed a sigh of relief on Saturday following the announcement of a deal between Bern and Washington to slash tariffs on imported Swiss products.
Read more: US tariff rate cut: Swiss press are upbeat but warn of high cost
Translated from French by DeepL/sb
How we work
We select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools to translate them into English. A journalist then reviews the translation for clarity and accuracy before publication.
Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. The news stories we select have been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team from news agencies such as Bloomberg or Keystone.
If you have any questions about how we work, write to us at english@swissinfo.ch
Articles in this story