The Ministry of Commerce of China File photo: VCG

The second round of negotiations on upgrading the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has made positive progress, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Friday.

Held in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 7 to 10, the talks featured in-depth discussions on key areas, including trade in goods and services, investment, rules of origin, trade facilitation, competition, environmental and trade policies, and economic-technical cooperation, MOFCOM noted

The China-Switzerland FTA, signed in July 2013 and implemented in July 2014, has played a significant role in boosting bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.

In September 2024, China and Switzerland initiated negotiations to upgrade the FTA, with the first round of talks held in Beijing in March 2025.

Data from Ministry of Foreign Affairs showed that Switzerland is China's sixth largest trading partner in Europe, and China is Switzerland's largest trading partner in Asia. 

In 2024, the trade volume between the two countries was $62.78 billion, up 5.5 percent than the previous year, of which exports to Switzerland were $7.46 billion, up 30.2 percent year-on-year, and imports from Switzerland were $55.32 billion, up 2.9 percent than the previous year, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

China's imports are mainly electromechanical products, chemical and pharmaceutical products, optical instruments, medical equipment and watches. The exports include textiles, electromechanical products, chemical raw materials, toys, sports equipment and leather products, the ministry said. 

Global Times