“It will be much cheaper for our company to import advanced equipment from Switzerland.” The news that China and Switzerland will discuss signing a free trade agreement around July made Mr. Weng, an operator of a textile company in Qianqing, very excited. It turned out that he was working for In order to transform, upgrade and develop, we have planned to import a batch of air-jet looms from Switzerland.
The reporter recently learned from the County Commerce Bureau that although the amount of our county’s import and export trade with Switzerland is not large, it is showing a good growth trend. Last year, the total value of our county’s foreign trade with Switzerland reached US$7.67 million, a year-on-year increase of 94.7%.
It is reported that after the completion of the free trade zone, Switzerland will immediately implement zero tariffs on 99.7% of China’s exports without any transition period; China will eventually implement zero tariffs on 84.2% of Switzerland’s exports. In terms of industrial products, Switzerland promises that from the date of the agreement’s entry into force, China will implement zero tariffs on all industrial products exported to Switzerland, including textiles, clothing, shoes and hats, and automobile parts for which China has greater export interests and a higher share of exports. Components, metal products, etc.
Switzerland has always been the main producer of textile machinery and testing equipment, accounting for a considerable proportion of the world’s output of textile machinery and testing equipment. As a major textile county, the import of advanced textile machinery equipment from Switzerland has always been the focus of trade for textile enterprises in our county. It is understood that our county’s import volume last year reached US$5.16 million, mainly focusing on textile machinery and equipment. “The implementation of zero tariffs on imported equipment from Switzerland will undoubtedly bring benefits to the transformation and upgrading of textile enterprises in our county.” said the relevant person in charge of the County Commerce Bureau.
In addition to importing high-end textile machinery and other equipment, the reporter learned that exports of textiles and clothing are currently the focus of our county’s exports to Switzerland. “This year, more than 20 foreign trade companies in our county have maintained business contacts with the Swiss market.” said the person in charge of the county commerce bureau. A high-end women’s fabric company in the Textile City has been exporting to Switzerland through middlemen in recent years. The company’s operator said that Swiss consumers favor exquisite and high-end products and are highly dependent on brands. Therefore, textile companies in our county must rely on local people to develop the Swiss market. Branded clothing, etc. entered.
The signing and implementation of the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement will bring greater benefits to our county’s foreign trade enterprises, that is, it will add new channels to explore the EU market. Switzerland is a non-EU country, but it belongs to the European Economic Area with the EU. It has signed about 120 cooperation agreements with each other and implements free trade. The relevant person in charge of the County Commerce Bureau said that although the establishment of a free trade zone between China and Switzerland based on origin restrictions does not mean that Shaoxing products can use Switzerland as a springboard to freely enter the EU market, it will still expand the EU market to a certain extent and provide Shaoxing with Semi-finished products are exported to Switzerland, processed and then sold to the EU, providing a channel.
