US president Donald Trump: “Switzerland is brilliant brilliant because they pay us almost nothing.”
Keystone-SDA
American President Donald Trump has once again publicly criticised Switzerland. According to him, the Alpine nation earns billions at the expense of the United States.
“Switzerland presents itself as a ‘small and brilliant’ country,” Donald Trump said on Tuesday in a telephone interview with CNBC. “They’re brilliant because they pay us almost nothing. Now they pay a little bit. They should pay much more.”
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Payments will be increased slightly, he added, without adding details. Switzerland and the US are currently negotiating a trade agreement. Back in February, Trump said that the prosperity of countries like Switzerland depended on the United States allowing them to take advantage of it.
On August 1st, 2025, the United States imposed tariffs of 39% on imports from Switzerland. Trump justified this measure by rebalancing the balance of trade between the two countries. In December, however, Switzerland reached an agreement with Washington, after which the US government reduced its tariffs on Swiss goods to 15%.
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US tariffs force Switzerland to rethink trade ties
Adapted from German by AI/rg
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