“Keller-Sutter should have met Trump in Scotland”

How can the Federal Council convince Donald Trump to lower new customs duties? For the former high -ranking diplomat Thomas Borer, Switzerland must buy weapons, oil, gas and American beef – and its negotiators must be creative.

Francesco Benini / CH Media

President Donald Trump decreed 39% customs duties on imports from Switzerland. How could we get there?
Thomas Borer: We are always clearer afterwards! At the beginning of April, Switzerland was part of the limited circle of countries which aimed at rapid arrangement with the United States. We thought we were on the right track. It would undoubtedly have been wise to be among the first to conclude an agreement with Donald Trump.

After its agreements with the European Union and Japan, our file has become secondary to its eyes, because it is difficult to exploit on the media level.

Was the Federal Council too naive to believe that the declared declaration of intent with members of the United States government would suffice?
The Federal Council relied on the usual diplomatic uses in the United States, according to which an agreement concluded at the ministerial level is then validated by the highest authority. But Donald Trump does not consider himself a traditional politician. He always wants to obtain the maximum person for his country, even if it means renegotiating.

It seems that Donald Trump was in a bad mood during his telephone interview with the president of the Confederation, Karin Keller-Sutter, due to new figures on the American employment rate. He would even have dismissed the manager of these statistics. Was it a mistake to call it?
When the interlocutors do not know each other well, the videoconferences are always delicate. Nothing beats one meeting in person, where you can really perceive the other. He would have earned better that our president went to Scotland at the end of July – Trump, passionate about golf, was clearly in better mood.

How should the Swiss authorities react?
An experienced negotiator would have taken advantage of this call to ask: “Mr. President, in your opinion, what concessions should Switzerland still make?” We could have discussed it immediately, then send the proposals to the Federal Council. Obviously, this did not happen.

That’s to say?
A few billion in the field of armaments, the purchase of oil and gas, and probably also concessions in agricultural matters. The problem is that Donald Trump has not yet positioned himself clearly. So we cannot say that we have answered all of his requests. Donald Trump can demand more at any time.

Federal advisor Guy Parmelin speaks of future Swiss investments increased in the United States and the purchase of American oil and gas-but he does not evoke agriculture.
According to my information, part of the Swiss delegation wanted from the start to submit a more generous offer in the United States.

The agreement between the United States and Japan also provides for agricultural exports-which Trump can easily present as a victory.

But the Swiss Union of Peasants and its lobbies will fiercely oppose it. The draft free trade with the United States has already failed because of them.
That’s right. The Confederation will probably have to convince this sector with more subsidies. It will probably be necessary to do with it.

What are the most concerned American agricultural products?
In the United States, it is still beef and soy.

Pharma Switzerland is also in the crosshairs. Donald Trump wants a sharp drop in drug prices in the United States. Will Novartis and Roche have to give in for Switzerland to get better agreement?
The American president will impose this drop anyway, according to the information I have. If this can serve Swiss interests in current negotiations, the Federal Council should consider this measure as an additional concession.

What measures should the Federal Council take?
I do not understand why he only planned to meet this Monday. He should have done it yesterday already. Then, the Secretary of State for the Economy should be, Helene Budliger Artieda, went to Washington to present the new Swiss offer to the United States government.

Such an encounter would only make sense if an agreement in principle is already found on both sides.
This agreement already existed. But Donald Trump disowned his own negotiators. We now need two -level contacts: between technical teams, and between political leaders.

Do you think that Switzerland can still obtain a reduction in customs duties?
I am an incurable optimist. You have to try everything.

It seems as urgent to me that the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ignazio Cassis comes into contact with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio.

What do this week’s events reveal on relations between Switzerland and the United States?
Switzerland considers the United States as a sister republic because in the 19th century, they were the only democracies. But this bilateral relationship has always been marked by the hardness of the big sister to the little one.

And the little sister must obey what the big one demands?
This is often the case, the balance of power is clearly unfavorable to us. This does not prevent Switzerland from defending its interests tenaciously.

Is your involvement in negotiations excluded?
We have excellent negotiators in the federal administration.

I find that it is not a bad idea. With a German chancellor like Friedrich Merz, it would be useless. But Trump works differently. Infantino gets along with him. If he said to him: “Mr. President, grant me 15 minutes”, and that he came with Secretary of State Helene Budliger and ready dealerships … These 15 minutes could be transformed into 30-and lead to something.

Could it really work?
Classic diplomatic methods do not always work with Donald Trump. It is also necessary to dare unconventional approaches. Try everything that is possible.

Are the 10% provided for in the declaration of common intention no longer realistic?
I fear that we missed this opportunity.

Adapted from German by Tanja Maeder