China and Switzerland have concluded negotiations to revise their 2013 FTA, with the updated agreement set to expand duty-free access for Swiss exports, strengthen investment and sustainability provisions, and broaden cooperation across trade and digital sectors.
China and Switzerland announced the conclusion of negotiations to optimise their 2013 free trade agreement (FTA), following five rounds of talks on 20 August 2026, after five rounds of negotiations launched in September 2024.
The revised agreement addresses the existing tariff imbalance, under which almost all Chinese imports into Switzerland are duty-free, while only around half of Swiss exports to China receive the same treatment. Under the revised FTA, 99.8% of Switzerland’s current exports are expected to enter the Chinese market duty-free.
The revised agreement will also improve market access for Swiss investors and strengthen provisions on environmental protection and labour rights. It further updates rules on origin, trade facilitation, services, digital trade, competition, and economic and technical cooperation.
Following legal review, Switzerland and China aim to sign the agreement by the end of 2026, subject to domestic approval procedures. The deal is intended to improve and secure Swiss companies’ access to China, Switzerland’s third-largest trading partner after the EU and the US, while supporting greater export-market diversification.
