Swiss leader says Trump administration foresees 'privileged' talks with
15 countries on US tariffs
[April 25, 2025] By
JAMEY KEATEN
GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss president says Switzerland is among 15 countries
with which the United States plans to conduct “privileged” negotiations
to help reach a deal in the wake of sweeping U.S. tariffs on dozens of
countries that have shaken global markets.
Karin Keller-Sutter, in an interview with broadcaster SRF published
Friday, said she was “satisfied” with talks in Washington this week that
included an International Monetary Fund conference and her one-on-one
meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Keller-Sutter also
serves as Switzerland’s finance minister.
“The United States has defined a group of 15 countries with which it
wants to find ... a quick solution in this tariff question. Switzerland
is part of this group of these 15 countries,” she told reporters
separately late Thursday in Washington.
It was not immediately clear which 14 other countries were included, but
she told SRF that “the U.S. envisages conducting — I would say somewhat
privileged — negotiations and finding solutions” with that group.
Before the Trump administration paused some of its most stringent tariff
plans, products imported from Switzerland had been set to face tariffs
of 31% — more than the 20% tariffs on goods from the European Union.
Switzerland is not a member of the 27-country bloc.
According to figures published by the Swiss Embassy in Washington, the
U.S. has been Switzerland’s most important goods export market worldwide
since 2021, while Switzerland is the fourth most important export market
for U.S. services. The bilateral trade volume in goods and services
between Switzerland and the U.S. reached a total of $185.9 billion in
2023, the embassy says on its website.
Keller-Sutter said a memorandum of understanding was to be drawn up
after which negotiations can begin. A document would also lay out the
most important topics, and “we have also been assigned a specific
contact person. This is not easy in the U.S. administration,” she was
quoted as saying.
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Swiss Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter speaks during a Swiss
National Day flag raising ceremony with New York Mayor Eric Adams,
not pictured, at Bowling Green, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in New York.
(AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, file)
 “The U.S. authorities have clearly
expressed their desire to find a solution with Switzerland,”
Keller-Sutter told SRF. She said no timetable had been set, but the
two sides agreed to move forward quickly “because uncertainty is
poison for the economy.”
Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2 set off turmoil
in world stock markets. A week later, Trump spoke by phone with
Keller-Sutter in a conversation that her office said focused on
tariffs. She emphasized the “important role of Swiss companies and
investments" in the U.S.
Hours later, Trump announced the U-turn that paused the steep new
tariffs on about 60 countries for 90 days, fanning speculation —
which was not confirmed — in some Swiss media that her chat with
Trump might have played a role in the change of course.
On Thursday, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, during a trip to
Beijing, said the U.S. tariffs have thrust the affected countries
into “a sort of coalition” to try to reach a deal with the United
States. And on Monday, Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche announced
plans to invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years —
an unspecified amount of which has already been under way.
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