Keystone-SDA
The decision of American president Donald Trump to impose customs duties of 39% on Switzerland arouses amazement and concern in the Lake Geneva. It risks heavily affecting the exporting economy of the Cantons of Geneva and Vaud.
(Keystone-ATS) “Today, we have a hangover. It is a real declaration of trade war. It is unjustified and unjustifiable, of an unprecedented severity on the economic front, “said Keystone-Ats Vincent Subilia, director of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services in Geneva (CCIG). “The bad news is particularly serious and irrational. It is a glaring injustice, “he says.
“The Geneva economy will be very severely affected from watchmaking to Medtech via the machine tools sector. We are the second Swiss canton exporting to the United States. This represents some 3.4 billion francs of exports per year, ”worries Mr. Subilia.
See under other skies?
Same “cold shower” for the canton of Vaud. “It’s crazy heaviness. It’s unreal. This will be unbearable for our exporting economy, ”comments Philippe Miauton, director of the Vaudoise Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CVCI). “Our entrepreneurs are all stunned and worried,” he adds.
“The Vaudois economy is very diverse and everyone is concerned. It will therefore necessarily be touched in a tenfold way, ”he worries too. “If there is no solution, it will be necessary to think of going to see under other skies, to move productions elsewhere,” he warns.
For the two officials, the ball is now in the camp of the Federal Council. “He will have to take his pilgrim’s stick, redouble fighting and activate commercial diplomacy to obtain if possible concessions,” pleads Vincent Subilia. “It is up to the Federal Council to make the effort, to bring calm to our economy,” continues Philippe Miauton.