(Last updated: 2 Jul 2011)

Current business situation

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) provides advice for business travellers and tourists going to Switzerland. This is regularly updated, and should be checked before planning travel.

Country facts

(Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Country economic fact sheet)

Economic climate

Switzerland is an important commercial partner within Europe – the third-largest supplier for the European Union (EU), behind the USA and Japan, and the EU’s second largest customer, after the USA.

For the latest key economic indicators and statistics, please see the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade country economic fact sheet.

Political climate

Switzerland is a federal republic comprising of 26 cantons (administrative divisions) and is politically stable. The system of government is complex, being a direct democracy in which the citizens of Switzerland are expected to take a quite active roll, voting approximately 6-10 times per year. Citizen-initiated referendums can overturn new federal laws and international treaties.

Switzerland has four main parties:

• The Radical Democrats (FDP) who are economically liberal and socially conservative and have been represented without interruption since 1848.
• The centrist Christian Democrats (CVP).
• The leftist Social Democrats (SP).
• The conservative Swiss People's Party (SVP). The SVP, advocates a brand of isolationism that is wholeheartedly against European Union integration and immigration. It has a strong base among farmers and small businesses in German-speaking areas and now has a majority on the federal as well as the cantonal level.

Trade relations and statistics

Switzerland guards its neutrality fiercely. It has yet to join the European Union (EU) or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), but has agreed to join the United Nations (UN). Switzerland has nonetheless played an important role in the establishment of the League of Nations, the modern Olympic Games and the Red Cross, as well as having key international organisations (World Trade Organisation, ILO, UN) based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The government has negotiated seven ‘bilateral sectoral’ agreements with the EU member states and these will give Switzerland reciprocal EU market access. The agreements cover:

• labour mobility
• air services
• road transport
• research
• agriculture
• government procurement
• technical restraints

Please see the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade country economic fact sheet for key trade statistics.