The Department for International Trade (DIT) are pleased to invite you to our upcoming webinar on work towards an enhanced free trade agreement with Switzerland, as announced by the Prime Minister and Swiss President Ignazio Cassis at the end of last April.

Date/Time:

• Friday 17th June 1300pm-1400pm

Join us for a discussion with Matt Davies, UK Chief Negotiator for Switzerland, DIT.

The webinar will give you:

• an overview of the framework of the current trading relationship with Switzerland, and next steps towards an enhanced trading relationship.

• information on how businesses can get involved in the current public consultation process launched in April.

Businesses will have an opportunity to ask questions and share views with the UK Chief Negotiator on an enhanced trade deal with Switzerland.

Questions for business

We are particularly interested in business and industry views about:

• Do you currently use preferential trading arrangements through the continuity agreement currently in force, based on the 1972 EU-Swiss Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that largely focuses on goods?

• What opportunities do you see in enhancing the existing trading relationship?

• Which areas of a future enhanced free trade agreement do you want the UK government to prioritise in trade talks with Switzerland?

• Are you facing challenges or constraints when attempting to trade or invest in Switzerland? If so, how significant are these on your business activity?

• How would you expect your business to respond to an enhanced FTA? For example, might you begin exporting to, or importing from, Switzerland? Would you look to invest in Switzerland or attract investment from Switzerland, increase output or hire more workers?

• Is your business trading products with Switzerland which relate to the environment or a low carbon economy?

Please consider the questions above and any other thoughts you have on doing business with Switzerland and a future enhanced bespoke trade deal.

Enhanced free trade agreement and Call for Input

As announced during the recent visit of Swiss President Ignazio Cassis visited the UK on 28 April 2022, the UK and Switzerland have joint ambition to negotiate a high quality and ambitious free trade agreement. with Switzerland that reflects our mutual strengths in services, digital trade and innovation.

Alongside this announcement, DIT launched of a call for input. The public consultation gives business and industry an opportunity to give its view on an enhanced bespoke UK-Switzerland FTA.

As two services powerhouses, we have a huge opportunity to negotiate an ambitious, unprecedented deal that will boost both our economies and show the world what is possible between two like-minded and innovative nations who are firmly within Europe but outside of the EU. The foundation of our current trading relationship is a continuity agreement based on the 1972 EU-Swiss Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that largely focuses on goods. As substantial service-based economies, there are opportunities to strengthen this agreement with an enhanced FTA.

We can also work to build and improve on current trading arrangements through exploring opportunities for the reduction or removal of remaining tariffs.

CONSULTATION LINK

Businesses are invited to complete the online questionnaire and submit response through official channel at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/trade-with-switzerland-call-for-input

The Call for Input is an easy to complete, straightforward online questionnaire, with ample opportunity to include detail, examples and facts and figures if you choose to do so.

The Call for Input deadline is 22 June 2022.