Government approves accord with UK to ease trade for companies
Switzerland has signed a number of deals with the UK as part of its "Mind the Gap" strategy to maintain bilateral relations as much as possible in the wake of Brexit. (Swiss Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter and the UK's Brexit Minister Stephen Barclay seen here in 2019)
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
The Swiss government has approved an agreement with Britain on mutual recognition of companies with “AEO” customs security approval, designed to facilitate trade.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/jc
This agreement is “intended to reduce technical barriers to trade and facilitate trade with the United Kingdom for companies with AEO status”, according to a government press releaseExternal link on Wednesday. The accord has yet to be ratified by Britain.
Authorised Economic OperatorExternal link (AEO) status for approved companies was introduced as part of international measures to increase customs security after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Companies with AEO status are “considered particularly trustworthy, which is why they enjoy privileges with respect to security-related customs controls and can take advantage of customs clearance simplifications”, says the government press release.
This comes after Britain officially left the European Union on December 31, 2020, bringing more customs formalities for British companies.
In October 2016, the Swiss government adopted its “Mind the GapExternal link” strategy aimed at guaranteeing as far as possible the mutual rights and obligations of citizens in all areas that currently link Switzerland and Britain. Although not a member of the EU, Switzerland follows many EU rules, notably on trade.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Trump tariffs: ‘I’m a bit perplexed’, says former US ambassador to Switzerland
This content was published on
The former US ambassador to Switzerland, Edward McMullen, says he is optimistic for the Alpine country with regard to the 31% tariff on imports imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Swiss Federal Court upholds Beny Steinmetz’s bribery conviction
This content was published on
Switzerland's highest court has upheld the conviction of French-Israeli mining magnate Beny Steinmetz for bribery of foreign public officials.
This content was published on
The Trump administration has imposed a 31% tariff on imports from Switzerland. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter has warned against "giving in to alarmism" in an interview published on Saturday,
This content was published on
Scientists have shown that bonobos combine their calls into complex sound sequences that resemble combinations of human words.
This content was published on
US parliamentarians have threatened the UN Human Rights Council with sanctions similar to those against the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This content was published on
Thanks to abundant snowfall, lift operators benefited from increased visitor numbers, with the number of guests jumping by 12% year-on-year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss shares can be traded again in the UK
This content was published on
The Swiss finance ministry has removed Britain from a list of countries requiring authorisation for its securities trading platforms.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.