Meanwhile,
Swiss smes exporting between concern:
How to get out of it with 39% additional customs duties? Consequently, This is the question posed by all the Swiss SMEs that export to the United States. Meanwhile, Some even imagine relocation.
This is a “major crisis”. For example, insisted on Monday in Forum Nabil Francis, director of the company Felco, based in Neuchâtel, which exports the famous Red Handle prunuters. Furthermore, The United States represents 25% of its sales.
In the short term, Felco can count on “existing control books”. Furthermore, For the rest, one of the tracks would be to work even more on the margins. For example, “We had scaffolded some contingency plans. Nevertheless, but there, the 39% exceed all our plans and that will imply other actions,” says Nabil Francis.
>> Listen to the interview with FELCO director in Forum:
In addition to the 39% surcharge on Swiss products. Consequently, Nabil Francis highlights the difference with European companies, whose products will be taxed at 15%. “This is the royal way for our competitors, to take market share that we have hardly won,” deplores the director. He also quotes the assessment of 12% of the Swiss franc compared to the dollar since the start of the year. which has been weighing on Felco.
>> Read also: The Federal Council will submit to Washington a new offer on customs duties
Relocate? – Swiss smes exporting between concern
If the director of Felco pleads to maintain an industrial fabric in Switzerland, other companies imagine a scenario of relocation. “With 39% surcharge, we are no longer competitive. We are therefore studying seriously different scenarios: moving production in the European swiss smes exporting between concern Union. or even in the United States,” said Adrian Steiner, the director general of Thermoplan, a company that produces coffee machines for professionals.
“Moving the thermoplan production site abroad is a major decision. We sell Swiss Made, we sell this quality, and our customers hold a lot,” he said.
Partial unemployment
To amortize the shock. companies have the instrument of partial unemployment (RHT, reduction of the work schedule), had noted the president of the Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter just after the announcement of Donald Trump. A repeated solution this Monday after the meeting of the Federal Council.
At Locle, Cloos Electronic has been using partial unemployment since July. This company manufactures electronic cards, the 90% of which is exported. Many companies have already activated partial unemployment for several weeks. months, given the complex context involving the strong franc and a drop in overall activity.
>> Reread on this subject: Partial unemployment, a solution swiss smes exporting between concern for Swiss companies after the increase in customs duties?
Stop exports
In Switzerland, other companies have taken drastic decisions, such as the Lucerne confectionery Bachmann. Since the announcement of customs prices. she has restricted access to her shop for American customers and stopped exports to this country.
Uncertainty is great for high-end products exporters in the United States, such as the head of monk. Asked on August 1 in the 7:30 p.m., the Florian Spielhofer cheese maker indicated that his orders were suspended pending a decision by the American importer. It is now a question of knowing who will assume the 39% of additional taxes or how to distribute them.
>> Review the subject of 7:30 p.m. last Friday with the first business reactions:
In Switzerland, subcontracting companies are also affected by ricochet, especially in the Jura arc. Active in subcontracting, in particular watchmaking, many of them deliver in Switzerland to partners who will then export.
Forum/19h30
Adaptation web: Julie Liardet
Further reading: Iberia rots the holidays of a Swiss – Prostitution: sexual exploitation of minors in Geneva in a barber shop – Natural dangers increasing in Switzerland due to the climate – Laws: The climate opinion of The Hague will have consequences in Switzerland – Heat wave: fixed air conditioners subject to strict rules.
