Swiss president pushes for tax negotiations in US amid duties

SWITZERLAND'S president was in Washington this week in a last-minute push to stop steep new tariffs, but with no appointment to plead her case to US President Donald Trump.

- 

Switzerland faces a 39% duty, one of the highest among the dozens of economies that will be hit by new tariffs expected to come into force from today.

President Karin Keller-Sutter and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin were visiting Washington “to facilitate meetings with the US authorities at short notice and hold talks with a view to improving the tariff situation for Switzerland,” the government said in a statement.

“The aim is to present a more attractive offer to the US in a bid to lower the level of reciprocal tariffs for Swiss exports, taking US concerns into account.”

But a White House official said there was “no meeting with the President scheduled at this time.”

Trump had originally threatened in April to slap a 31% tariff on Switzerland.