Federal Council awards sale of alcosuisse ag

Bern, 02.02.2018 - During its meeting on 31 January 2018, the Federal Council decided to sell alcosuisse ag – the former profit centre of the Swiss Alcohol Board (SAB) – to Thommen-Furler AG in Rüti bei Büren (BE). The former exclusive state importer of ethanol is being privatised in view of the liberalisation of the ethanol market at the start of 2019.

The Federal Council brought the partial revision of alcohol law required to privatise alcosuisse ag into effect on 1 January 2017 and the sales procedure was recently completed. During its meeting on 31 January 2018, it awarded the sale to Thommen-Furler AG (TFAG). Headquartered in Rüti bei Büren (BE), TFAG is specialised in the distribution of chemicals and lubricants, environmental technology and the disposal and recycling of industrial and hazardous waste. The medium-sized owner-managed company has branches in Ziefen (BL) and La Chaux-de-Fonds (NE), and has around 250 employees.

alcosuisse ag will be taken over by Thommen-Furler AG in mid-2018. Until the ethanol market is liberalised on 1 January 2019, the monopoly for the importation of ethanol will remain unchanged. The buyer is not allowed to generate any profit until then, and will continue to provide ethanol at cost. Any price adjustments will continue to be decided by the SAB.

The sale will change nothing for ethanol purchasers either: the product and service range of alcosuisse ag will remain unchanged with the usual level of quality.


Address for enquiries

Walter Pavel, Specialist, Alcohol Market and Advertising Section, Federal Customs Administration FCA
Tel. +41 58 462 65 13, walter.pavel@ezv.admin.ch


Publisher

The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html

Federal Office for Customs and Border Security
https://www.bazg.admin.ch

Alcosuisse
http://www.alcosuisse.ch/en/home.html

https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-69703.html