Use of free trade agreements

The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) analyses the extent to which Swiss companies make use of Switzerland's free trade agreements (FTAs) to save on customs duties.

The FTA Monitor shows that Swiss companies saved CHF 2.4 billion in customs duties in 2021 thanks to FTAs. This corresponds to an average FTA utilisation rate of 66% for imports.

The study "Analyse zur Nutzung von Freihandelsabkommen" published in August 2020 is based on a recommendation by the National Council's Business Audit Committee (GPK-N) and was commissioned by SECO from the University of St. Gallen. The GPK-N called for an analysis of the effects of FTAs. In a further analysis, the factors that influence whether companies importing goods into Switzerland use the preferential tariffs granted under FTAs were examined. The in-depth analysis showed that smaller and larger companies use FTAs with roughly the same frequency.

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Links

The FTA Monitor: all relevant figures on the use of the individual FTAs are shown at a glance in the FTA Monitor.

Company survey on the use of free trade agreements:

Study on the effects of regionalisation of rules of origin in free trade agreements, by Ecoplan and the University of St Gallen, as mandated by SECO

Study on measures to improve the use of free trade agreements, EY Schweiz, on behalf of SECO

'Analysis on behalf of SECO of the use of free trade agreements' study by Stefan Legge and Piotr Lukaszuk of the University of St Gallen

Executive summary – 'Determinants of the Use of Free Trade Agreements; in-depth analyses' by Stefan Legge and Piotr Lukaszuk of the University of St Gallen

Articles in Die Volkswirtschaft (in German)

Specialist staff
Last modification 20.11.2023

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State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO
International Movement of Goods
Holzikofenweg 36
3003 Bern

Tel. +41 (0)58 464 08 74

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https://www.seco.admin.ch/content/seco/en/home/Aussenwirtschaftspolitik_Wirtschaftliche_Zusammenarbeit/Wirtschaftsbeziehungen/Freihandelsabkommen/nutzung_freihandelsabkommen.html