Responding to the launch of the UK-Switzerland trade negotiations in Bern, BCC Head of Trade Policy, William Bain, said:

“Business has been seeking a swift start to these important negotiations with Switzerland. It is the UK’s sixth largest export destination for services, worth £15bn per year, and our seventh largest export location for goods. Overall, 4.1% of total UK exports go to Switzerland.

“The 2021 post-Brexit continuity agreement only rolled over terms on trade in goods but not services, so there has been a major gap to fill, affecting just under half of our trade.

“As well as securing market access for our financial, legal, accounting, auditing, architecture and design service firms with the large Swiss market, we also need to make permanent the temporary services labour mobility and business travel rules agreed last year.

“With scope to expand digital trade and bilateral data and investment flows with Switzerland, this is one of the most important sets of negotiations for business the UK Government has launched in the post-Brexit era.”

More detail from the Dept of Business and Trade on the negotiations can be found here.