Swiss Leaders Seek Roche, Novartis Talks Amid US Tariffs
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Switzerland’s government has reached out to local drugmakers Roche Holding AG and Novartis AG to discuss the tariff situation, a spokesperson said, after the country was hit with the highest US levies in the developed world.
Economy Minister Guy Parmelin and Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider will meet top executives of the two companies for a crisis summit on the future of the Swiss pharma industry, SonntagsBlick reported on Sunday. Other producers will participate as well, the newspaper added.
Pharmaceuticals are currently exempt from Trump’s tariffs. But that might soon change, with the president warning he could announce measures on the sector in the next weeks.
“The departments concerned maintain regular contact with all sectors, including the pharmaceutical industry,” a spokesperson for the interior ministry told Bloomberg in an emailed statement. “Talks are also planned in the current situation.”
The meeting will take place after the summer holidays, according to the paper. With the government’s recess ending on Wednesday, that could mean a gathering as early as this month.
