Switzerland have made it clear that they are keen to begin post-Brexit trade talks to strike a deal with the UK as soon as possible. The aim is to have a trade deal in place as soon as the UK leaves the EU.
Johann Schneider-Ammann, who has been both president and vice-president of Switzerland and is currently the head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, has said that he sees no reason why talks in the background cannot take part while the UK is in the process of its two-year leaving period.
Liam Fox, the UK’s international trade minister made it clear at the World Economic Forum that he also sees a deal with Switzerland, who is a member of the EU’s Fair Trade Agreement (FTA), would be one of the first that would be put in place post-Brexit.
In 2016 we exported £9.6 billion of goods to Switzerland, about 3.6% of our total exports. Switzerland import £21.9 billion into the UK. Their largest imports into the UK are gems & precious metals, pharmaceuticals, clocks and watches and electrical machinery.