Swiss cheesemakers anticipate a major decrease in their U.S. market because President Donald Trump has announced a 39% tariff on Swiss imports which starts on Thursday. The Swiss government received this decision as a surprise because they had expected to achieve better trade terms through their negotiations.
The United States purchases 11% of all Swiss cheese exports which include Gruyère and Emmentaler. The total Swiss Gruyère production volume exceeds 40% which gets distributed between foreign markets with America receiving one-third of the total exports. The U.S. cheese market faces an increased risk of unaffordable prices because of the new tariffs according to industry experts.
Anthony Margot who operates as a fifth-generation cheese maturer reported that American customers expressed strong concern about the situation while seeking a possible last-minute agreement. The producers have taken three steps to respond to the tariffs by reducing their output by 3% while boosting their marketing expenses and planning price increases for American customers. The Gruyère producers’ association predicts that U.S. exports will decrease by 1,000 tons which would result in a potential revenue loss of 15 million francs ($18.6 million).
