China-Switzerland Sign FTA Targeting 99.8% Swiss Goods Duty-Free

China and Switzerland signed an upgraded free trade agreement in Beijing on October 30, 2026. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Swiss SECO head Helene Budliger Artieda signed it, with Presidents Xi Jinping and Guy Parmelin attending. About 99.8 percent of the value of Swiss exports to China will be eligible for zero tariffs, and both sides committed to zero-tariff coverage on more than 99 percent of imports. The pact adds a legally binding chapter on labor and environmental protections, plus agreements on labor cooperation and cross-border research data. Both sides aim for entry into force after domestic legal procedures. Negotiations launched in September 2024 and concluded after five rounds; an MOU was signed in Bern on August 20, 2026. The original FTA, signed in 2013 and in force since 2014, was China's first with a continental European country. Bilateral trade rose from $43.57 billion in 2014 to $62.77 billion in 2024, and Swiss exporter utilization climbed from 58 to 71 percent by 2023. Parmelin called it a new step meeting companies' expectations. Hu Qimu said higher openness standards will widen science and technology collaboration. The visit marked the partnership's 10th anniversary.