The US president also made his thoughts known about the former Swiss president, Keller-Sutter, whom he referred to as “prime minister”. Her term ended in December.
After he threatened last year to raise tariffs on goods from Switzerland to 30%, Trump recalled, she contacted him in a bid to avert the import taxes.
“She was very repetitive, she said ‘no, no, no, you cannot do that, we’re a small, small country,'” Trump said.
“She kept saying the same thing over and over,” he added. “She just rubbed me the wrong way, I’ll be honest with you.”
After that call, Trump said he raised the duties to 39%.
It was an awkward moment for the Swiss delegation, which included Keller-Sutter and which had a meeting scheduled with him right after his speech,
Trump agreed to lower tariffs on Swiss products to 15% late last year amid pressure from major Swiss companies, including Rolex.
But the US president warned on Wednesday it could rise again.
“I reduced it because I don’t want to hurt people,” he said.
“I don’t want to hurt them. And we brought it down to a lower level; doesn’t mean it’s not going up.”