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Foreign trade figures of Switzerland

Foreign Trade in Figures

The Swiss economy is extremely open to foreign trade, which represents 147% of the country’s GDP in 2025 (World Bank). Trade in gold weighs heavily on the figures: in 2025, gold accounted for 35.4% of exports and 41.5% of imports. Excluding gold, pharmaceuticals dominate: vaccines and other blood products (12.5% of exports), medicaments (9.0%), and heterocyclic compounds (6.4%), followed by wrist-watches (3.2%) and jewellery (2.7%). Besides gold, imports were led by medicaments (11.0%), vaccines and other blood products (4.4%), motor cars (2.7%), and jewellery (2.2% - data Comtrade).

At the country level, the United States absorbed 21.9% of Swiss exports in 2025, ahead of Germany (11.0%), the United Kingdom (10.6%), China (6.5%), France (5.9%), and Slovenia (5.7%). On the other hand, Germany (15.1%), the U.S. (13.5%), the United Arab Emirates (9.4%), Italy (7.7%), Slovenia (6.1%), and China (5.1%) were Switzerland's principal procurement markets (data Comtrade, including gold).

Switzerland has a structurally large trade surplus. Exports rely mostly on high-tech sectors, which are less dependent on the international economic situation than other industries. According to WTO data, in 2025, Switzerland's exports of goods amounted to USD 554.2 billion while imports stood at USD 507.4 billion (+23.9% and +36.4% compared to one year earlier, respectively). As with regard to services, Switzerland exported USD 195.5 billion (+5% y-o-y), while it imported USD 213.9 billion (+5.2%). The country’s trade surplus was estimated at 8.9% of GDP in 2025 by the World Bank (from 12.1% one year earlier). According to preliminary figures from the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, in 2025, exports rose by 1.4% to a record CHF 287.0 billion, while imports increased 4.5% to CHF 232.7 billion, leading to a trade balance surplus of CHF 54.3 billion.

 
Foreign Trade Values 20212022202320242025
Imports of Goods (million USD) 324,069357,115365,614371,955507,429
Exports of Goods (million USD) 380,194400,693419,982447,308554,160
Imports of Services (million USD) 166,248171,011188,070203,302213,207
Exports of Services (million USD) 138,729154,749170,323186,123194,862

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Indicators 20212022202320242025
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 128.0136.2129.7130.4147.2
Trade Balance (million USD) 126,337132,330117,601130,845109,214
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) 98,824115,99099,764113,63890,795
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 5.16.20.00.69.7
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 13.67.0-2.71.74.8
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 58.161.359.459.269.1
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 69.975.070.371.278.1

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 2026 (e)2027 (e)2028 (e)2029 (e)2030 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) 3.23.54.13.34.1
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) 3.53.73.53.53.5

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

 
International Economic Cooperation
Switzerland is a member of the following international economic organisations: IMF, European Free Trade Association (EFTA), ICC, Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) (observer), G-10, WTO, OECD, among others. For the full list of economic and other international organisations in which participates Switzerland click here. International organisation membership of Switzerland is also outlined here.
Free Trade Agreements
The complete and up-to-date list of Free Trade Agreements signed by Switzerland can be consulted here.
 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2025
United States 21.9%
Germany 11.0%
United Kingdom 10.6%
China 6.5%
France 5.9%
See More Countries 44.2%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2025
Germany 15.1%
United States 13.5%
United Arab Emirates 9.4%
Italy 7.7%
Slovenia 6.1%
See More Countries 48.2%

Source: Comtrade, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

553.5 bn USD of products exported in 2025
Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought...Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought or not further worked than semi-manufactured or in powder form 35.4%
Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic...Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses; antisera and other blood fractions and immunological products, whether or not modified or obtained by means of biotechnological processes; vaccines, toxins, cultures of micro-organisms (excl. yeasts) and similar products 12.5%
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 9.0%
Heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom[s...Heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom[s] only 6.4%
Wrist-watches, pocket-watches and other watches,...Wrist-watches, pocket-watches and other watches, incl. stop-watches (excl. of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal) 3.2%
See More Products 33.4%
508.7 bn USD of products imported in 2025
Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought...Gold, incl. gold plated with platinum, unwrought or not further worked than semi-manufactured or in powder form 41.5%
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 11.0%
Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic...Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses; antisera and other blood fractions and immunological products, whether or not modified or obtained by means of biotechnological processes; vaccines, toxins, cultures of micro-organisms (excl. yeasts) and similar products 4.4%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 2.7%
Articles of jewellery and parts thereof, of...Articles of jewellery and parts thereof, of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal (excl. articles > 100 years old) 2.2%
See More Products 38.3%

Source: Comtrade, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

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Latest Update: October 2026