Your cross-border solution after the abolition of industrial tariffs.
The abolition of industrial tariffs on January 1, 2024 will create new opportunities for e-commerce in Switzerland. Here you will find all the information on how you can use the potential for your shop.
All important information
The abolition of industrial tariffs will come into force on January 1, 2024. The repeal applies to all industrial products. In Switzerland, these are all goods with the exception of agricultural products (such as animal feed) and fishery products.
The abolition of industrial tariffs should benefit both companies and consumers by making many products such as cars, bicycles, shoes and textiles more affordable and increasing Switzerland’s competitiveness.
Companies operating in Switzerland benefit from simplified tariff classification and administration, such as the elimination of proof of origin. For trade, the abolition of industrial tariffs generally means lower costs when importing goods.
Despite the abolition of industrial tariffs, it is still necessary to declare imported goods in order to collect statistical data and levy VAT on imports. All important information on this page!
The most important questions about the abolition of insutrie customs duties
The abolition of industrial tariffs affects persons and companies that trade in or use industrial products in Switzerland. With the abolition of industrial tariffs from 1 January 2024, all import duties on industrial products in Switzerland will be abolished, except for certain products in Chapters 35 and 38, which are considered agricultural products. As part of this measure, the existing 9,114 tariff numbers will be reduced to 7,511 in order to simplify the tariff classification of products. The tariff numbers will be harmonised as far as possible with the EU standard, which will enable simpler product classification for companies and the customs administration.
Despite the abolition of industrial tariffs, a declaration of the goods to be imported remains necessary in order to record statistical data and collect VAT on import. Non-customs duty remissions and quotas as well as precious metal controls also remain in place and must be declared accordingly by specialists.
No, the abolition of industrial tariffs in Switzerland has no impact on the customs process itself for exports and re-imports into the EU. Customs duties continue to apply to the latter, unless it can be proven that an item was previously exported from the EU. It is therefore important to match the re-imported goods with the previously exported goods in order to avoid having to pay customs duties when re-importing into the EU. Refund applications are not necessary as no customs duties were paid in Switzerland.
A third country is a country that is not a member of the European Union and is therefore not integrated into the economic structures of the EU, such as the internal market and the customs union. When trading with a third country, companies are obliged to comply with customs formalities, regardless of the existence of a trade agreement. Switzerland and the UK are among the most important markets in the field of e-commerce, which are third countries. MS Direct offers the necessary expertise for a successful market entry or expansion into these third countries in the area of e-commerce.
We support you in this
Learn from the best
Mango needed a reliable and scalable delivery solution for Mango.com and Zalando’s marketplace, with orders reaching customers in Switzerland within 48 hours. In addition, returns had to be processed quickly and efficiently. With MS Direct’s cross-border e-commerce solution, Mango ships seamlessly from Spain to Switzerland and back. Find out how Mango uses our solution for internationalization.
Fast relief thanks to Swiss return address
Efficient processing of returns is of great importance for reducing the burden on customer accounts. In our returns process, we ensure that returned items are prepared for shipment again, regardless of whether refurbishment is required or not. We take care of the entire returns process, including all customs formalities involved in the return shipment.
Your all in one solution for Switzerland and other third countries
Manage your international activities in Switzerland effortlessly and keep an overview at all times. Would you like to adjust the relevant customs data for your items? Check the status of your orders? Download customs documents? Or process the return process? Our cross-border portal will be your central point of contact.
Excklusive ressources on Swiss e-commerce
© 2024, MS Direct AG Part of MS Direct Group