The Federal Council plane lands Thursday morning at Berne-Belp airport with the president of the Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter on board and the Minister of the Economy Guy Parmelin, returning from their Washington trip to Washington. Government information is scheduled in the afternoon.
Photo: KEYSTONE/PETER SCHNEIDER
The Swiss delegation led by the President of the Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter and the Minister of the Economy Guy Parmelin returned to Switzerland. Their plane landed Thursday morning around 7:00 am at Berne-Belp airport, a photographer from Keystone-ATS noted.
The aircraft started from Washington late Wednesday at the end of the day. The Federal Council must hold an extraordinary session Thursday at the start of the afternoon.
The Swiss delegation went to Washington Tuesday and Wednesday for a last chance mission aimed at inflecting the position of US President Donald Trump on customs duties of 39% which he imposed on the Confederation. The two federal advisers had not announced a concrete result after their discussions with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Consequently, American customs duties of 39% on Swiss products entered into force Thursday at 12:01 am (6:01 am in Switzerland). These surcharge will have severe repercussions for the Swiss export industry and for employment in Switzerland, warned the Federal Council.
/ATS
