Processed agricultural products

The customs duties levied on imports of processed agricultural products into Switzerland are intended to compensate for the price disadvantage faced by the domestic food industry. This price compensation mechanism is provided for in the Federal Act on the Importation of Agricultural Products (SR 632.111.72 (available in German only)).

© Erwin Wodicka

Price compensation on imports of processed agricultural products

The aim of the Federal Act on the Import of Processed Agricultural Products (SR 632.111.72 (available in German only)) is to compensate for the raw materials price disadvantage faced by the Swiss food industry when importing processed agricultural products, such as chocolate, sponge cakes and baby food. To achieve this, import duties (industrial protection element and variable components) are levied on imports for this purpose. The variable components reflect the price differences between domestic and foreign markets for agricultural raw materials, thereby raising the price of the raw materials contained in imported processed agricultural products to the domestic price level. Customs tariffs for processed agricultural products are determined mathematically based on the reference prices for the raw materials concerned. Export duties levied under the old ‘Chocolate Act’ (Federal Act on the Import and Export of Processed Agricultural Products) were lifted with effect from 1 January 2019.

The Federal Act on the Import of Processed Agricultural Products also implements the treaty conditions of Protocol 2 to the free trade agreement between Switzerland and the EU (SR 0.632.401.2 (available in German only)). This governs the price compensation mechanism in trade with the EU. Revised in connection with the second round of agreements, Bilateral Agreements II, Protocol 2 takes into account the difference between Swiss prices and lower raw materials prices in the EU (i.e. net price compensation) rather than the difference between Swiss prices and even lower prices on the global market.

Further information

• Links

  • Parliamentary consultations on the implementation of the WTO Ministerial Decision on export competition
    (available in German)
  • Federal Council dispatch on the abolition of export subsidies for processed agricultural products
    (available in German)
  • Free Trade Agreements: Notifications regarding Processed Agricultural Products (PAP)
  • Decisions of the EU-Switzerland Joint Committee established by the free trade agreement 
    (available in German)

• Legal framework

  • SR 632.111.72
    Federal Act of 15 December 2017 on the Import of Processed Agricultural Products (available in German)
  • SR 632.111.722
    Ordinance of 23 November 2011 on Industry Safeguards and Variable Duty Components on the Import of Processed Agricultural Products (available in German)
  • SR 632.111.722.1
    FDF Ordinance of 27 January 2005 on the Variable Duty Components Applicable to the Import of Processed Agricultural Products  (available in German)
  • SR 0.632.401.2
    Protocol 2 of 22 July 1972 on Certain Processed Agricultural Products (available in German)

• Downloads

  • Decision No 1_2026 of the EU-Switzerland Joint Committee

    PDF69.38 kB14 January 2026

  • BAK Economics Evaluation (available in German only)

    Evaluation of the accompanying measures introduced after the abolition of export subsidies

    PDF4.03 MB31 October 2024

  • Federal Decree on the adoption and implementation of the WTO Ministerial Decision on export competition and on the adoption of changes to the LIX-Switzerland-Liechtenstein list of specific commitments concerning export subsidies (available in German only)

    PDF636.52 kB15 December 2017