Switzerland and China conclude negotiations on optimisation of free trade agreement
Berne, 20.08.2026 — President Guy Parmelin and Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao announced on 20 August, during a meeting in Bern, that negotiations on the optimisation of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Switzerland and the People’s Republic of China had been concluded.
Switzerland has achieved its negotiating objectives. Under the existing FTA almost all Chinese imports into Switzerland are duty-free, while this is only the case for around half of Swiss exports to China. The optimised FTA rectifies this imbalance: 99.8 per cent of Switzerland’s current exports will be able to enter the Chinese market duty-free. The optimised FTA also ensures that Swiss investors have access to the Chinese market. Lastly, the provisions on environmental issues and labour rights will also be expanded and strengthened in the revised FTA.
Furthermore, the optimisation of the FTA also covers rules of origin and trade facilitation, trade in services, digital trade, competition, and economic and technical cooperation.
Upon completion of the legal review of the texts, Switzerland and China will work towards the signing of the agreement. The aim is to have the agreement signed by the end of 2026, followed by the required domestic approval procedures.
Negotiations on the optimisation of the 2014 free trade agreement were officially launched in September 2024 and have been concluded following five rounds of talks.
China is Switzerland's third most important trade partner after the EU and the USA. By optimising the agreement, the Federal Council is improving and securing access to the Chinese market, thereby helping Swiss companies to diversify their export markets.