Swiss export controls on dual-use equipment adequate, says auditor
Equipment that can be used for both civilian and military purposes is one area that is testing Swiss neutrality.
Gaetan Bally
The export of Swiss equipment that can be used for both civilian and military purposes is being properly controlled, according to the Federal Audit Office (FAO).
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
العربية
ar
الرقابة السويسرية على الصادرات ذات الاستخدام المزدوج تتم بشكل ملائم
Part of Switzerland’s sanctions measures have imposed a ban of dual-use equipment exports to Russia. Swiss neutrality is also being tested by the use of its manufactured goods in Ukraine.
Switzerland exported CHF2.7 million worth of dual-use goods to Ukraine in the fourth quarter of 2022 and CHF4.5 million in the first three months of this year, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper reported in May. This is much higher than the few thousand francs exported in the first quarter of 2022.
At the same time, exports of dual-use goods to Russia fell. Exports were only worth CHF190,00 in the most recent quarter compared to CHF5.6 million in 2022.
The FAO on Wednesday said export controls, imposed by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) and policed by customs, are fit for purpose under the current conditions.
Seco has issued an average of 1,744 dual-use permits each year worth around CHF3 billion ($3.4 billion) and rejected two or three export requests per annum. Customs blocked some three percent of exports, the report stated.
Cooperation between Seco, customs and the intelligence service is also deemed efficient. A new digital system to track goods, which went online in June, is expected to aid the risk analysis of exports.
The trade in armaments and dual-use goods is worth an annual CHF35 billion to Switzerland and supports 137,000 jobs, according to Seco.
More
More
Tracking Western parts in Russian weapons used against Ukraine
This content was published on
Experts say components made by Western firms have been found in drones and missiles used by Russia against Ukraine. Here’s what we know.
This content was published on
Switzerland’s finance minister concerned about economic slump recorded by important trading partners, the EU and Germany.
Report finds serious security flaws in Swiss hospital information systems
This content was published on
The IT systems of several Swiss hospitals suffer from serious security flaws, according to the National Testing Institute for Cybersecurity (NTC).
Cost of leisure activities rises dramatically in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Swiss paid more for leisure activities in December. Prices for vacation apartments, package tours and cable cars rose significantly.
New Swiss epidemic surveillance centre inaugurated
This content was published on
The Centre for Pathogen Bioinformatics was inaugurated in Bern on Thursday. It aims to improve epidemics monitoring in Switzerland using genomic data.
This content was published on
Switzerland, as a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), signed a free trade agreement with Thailand during WEF.
This content was published on
The federal audit office has criticised the Swiss government for poor planning of the procurement of six drones from an Israeli supplier.
Swiss exports of dual-use goods to Ukraine increase sharply
This content was published on
Official statistics show that Swiss exports of dual-use goods to Ukraine have risen significantly in the first quarter of 2023.
This content was published on
The demining foundation Digger has criticised Switzerland's strict export regulations, which penalise it for supplying material to Ukraine.
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.