WTO questions Swiss tariff quotas

Switzerland has lately failed to comply with most World Trade Organization (WTO)-approved tariff quotas, the Geneva-based organisation declared in its regular review of Swiss trade policies. “Most WTO tariff quotas have been over-filled in recent years,” the organisation said in its fifth review of Switzerland’s trade policies, published on Tuesday. The WTO report, which takes place every four years, said Switzerland had a “generally open” trade regime, and it praised the alpine nation for its ongoing support for trade liberalisation and a rules-based multilateral order. The agriculture sector, however, “continues to be protected with high import tariffs on sensitive products”. Ongoing subsidies in this field also show how vulnerable it is to market competition, “highlighting the need for more market-oriented reforms.” Stockpiling products The trade body said the average Swiss tariff on imports in 2016 was 9%, compared to 9.2% in 2012. Tariffs on agricultural ...

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