Nidwalden canton hardest hit by Trump's hammer, weighs Pilatus

Putting the finishing touches on a Pilatus aircraft. The company is a major employer in Stans, Nidwalden.

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Of the 26 cantons, Nidwalden in central Switzerland could be most impacted by the new US tariffs, as 47% of its exports are America-bound.

This content was published on

August 8, 2025 – 13:40

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The region’s biggest employer, aircraft manufacturer Pilatus, is a major factor of Nidwalden’s vulnerability, the Blick newspaper wrote on Friday after an analysis of Swiss customs data.

Pilatus – which announced on Friday it would be temporarily stopping all shipments to the US – also has an aircraft assembly plant in Broomfield, Colorado, and can escape at least part of the tariffs. However, most of the company’s added value is generated in Stans, Nidwalden, where the firm employs almost 3,000 people.

In second place in the ranking (which also takes gold exports into account) of the hardest-hit cantons is Neuchâtel (25% of its exports go to the US), largely due to its watch industry. Aargau (23%), Valais (21%) and Vaud (21%) follow. Least impacted are the central Swiss cantons of Schwyz (6%) and Uri (1%), Blick writes.

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Adapted from Italian by DeepL/dos

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