Switzerland wants a trade deal with Mercosur quickly, otherwise Swiss exporters could lose out.
Keystone
Swiss economics minister Johann Schneider-Ammann has arrived in Brazil on a six-day visit to the region aimed at boosting talks on a free trade agreement with the South American economic area Mercosur.
This content was published on
1 minute
In addition to Brazil, Schneider-Ammann will also visit the other Mercosur states of Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, according to a government press releaseExternal link on Friday.
He is accompanied by a delegation from business, science, agriculture, parliament and government. Representatives of Swiss agriculture, which is divided on free trade with Mercosur, were invited to participate for the first time. In February, the Swiss Farmers’ Union boycotted a debate on the agreement to which the economics minister had invited it.
Johann Schneider-Ammann’s visit to the Mercosur countries aims to give impetus to talks on a trade deal between the South American bloc and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which comprises Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. He will also “stress the importance and the advantages that it holds for all parties”, according to the press release.
Switzerland wants an agreement with Mercosur quickly, because the European Union is close to an agreement with those countries and if it reaches a deal before Switzerland, Swiss exporters would suffer.
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
Minister meets agriculture to smooth Mercosur trade deal
This content was published on
Economic Affairs Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann wants to speed up a free trade agreement between Switzerland and the Latin American countries of Mercosur.
Government unveils sensitive agricultural reform plans
This content was published on
The government has presented a paper on the gradual liberalisation of Switzerland’s agriculture market, in a bid to improve competitiveness.
This content was published on
Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, received Kvirikashvili for an official working visit on Monday. Bilateral talks focused on efforts to promote peace in the Caucasus and Switzerland’s cooperation strategy for the South Caucasus region, a longstanding priority in its development cooperation programme. The particular focus was on…
This content was published on
Swiss President Doris Leuthard has started a two-day presidential visit to India – accompanied by an unusually large 30-head business delegation.
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.