Important and practical business terms (Part3)
2 February 2022
Total value of exports and imports goods from Switzerland
The statistics show that imports and exports from Iran to Switzerland decreased in 2019 and then increased in 2021. As a result of Covid-19 and its consequences, the volume of trade between these two countries has seen a negative growth.
According to the Swiss export goods to Iran data, the total value in 2019 was 332,871 thousand dollars, the total value in 2020 decreased to 142,796 thousand dollars, and in 2021 the total value was again increasing, reaching 170030 thousand dollars.
The following chart shows Swiss exports and imports to Iran.
On 26 June 2021, FOAG announced it would allow an extra 5,000 tonnes of lightly taxed potatoes to be imported into Switzerland this year. Last year’s hot summer and this year’s cold spring cut local potato production. In addition, increased time spent at home during the pandemic has increased demand for the starchy tuber. Import quotas and their associated tariffs are an invisible tax on consumers.
They allow local farmers to charge higher prices for their products before being out competed on price by their imported equivalents. But they mean consumers pay more than they would have without tariffs. However, many farmers in Switzerland struggle to make a living despite large direct payments and import quotas. Average Swiss farm sizes are small, the terrain is often challenging and labour and other costs are high. Farmers in neighbouring nations are also heavily subsidised.
