Switzerland and China have completed negotiations to modernize their bilateral free trade agreement, paving the way for near-total tariff elimination on Swiss exports to the Chinese market.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao announced the conclusion of talks on Thursday during a meeting in Bern. The upgraded deal would raise the share of duty-free Swiss exports to China to 99.8 percent and secure improved market access for Swiss investors. Formal signing is expected before the end of 2026.
The negotiations, launched in September 2024, sought to update the original 2014 accord and were concluded after five rounds of talks. China is currently Switzerland's third-largest trading partner after the European Union and the United States.