Foreign Economy

The Swiss economy is globally oriented: Swiss goods, services, and investments are present on all continents. This requires a foreign trade policy that secures full access to world markets and protects investments. Due to its position in the heart of Europe, good relations to EU countries are particularly important for Switzerland. Non-discriminatory access to the European single market with its more than 500 million consumers is indispensable for the Swiss economy. As a small country the innovation-based export nation Switzerland cannot prevail by mere market power but depends on contractual agreements for market access. A world of globalized value chains calls for an assertive foreign trade policy that banks on multilateral and bilateral trade liberalization.