The Ministry of Commerce: China and Switzerland will further lower tariff levels for nearly 300 tariff lines respectively based on the original agreement.

The head of the Department of International Trade of the Ministry of Commerce interprets the Protocol on the Upgrade of the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement.

In terms of market access for goods trade, both parties have achieved mutually beneficial and high-level tariff reduction results, further lowering the tariff levels between the two countries based on the original Free Trade Agreement.

According to the latest tariff concession arrangement, China and Switzerland will further reduce tariffs on nearly 300 tariff lines on the basis of the original agreement, and ultimately, products subject to zero tariffs will cover more than 99% of the bilateral trade volume.

Specifically, Switzerland had already eliminated all tariffs on industrial goods in the original agreement, and in the upgraded protocol, will further open its agricultural market through immediate implementation of zero tariffs or partial tariff reductions. This represents Switzerland’s highest level of liberalization commitment to date. Key Chinese products such as oilseeds, vegetable oils, and pet food will enter the Swiss market with more preferential tariff treatment.

On the basis of the original agreement, China will further grant preferential tariff treatment to Swiss products through immediate implementation of zero tariffs, or zero tariffs after a five- or ten-year transition period. Imports such as Swiss coffee, machine tools, and watches to China will have tariffs gradually eliminated where tariffs were previously reduced or not reduced under the original agreement.