"It's not just good for Switzerland, but for everyone."

Guy Parmelin responds: "That's the role of good offices. All parties have an interest in seeing this matter move forward. And if we can facilitate and speed things up, it's beneficial for everyone. It's good not just for Geneva and Switzerland, but for the entire world."

Karin Keller-Sutter adds, "Both parties really thanked us for this meeting."

A summary of the press conference by President of the Swiss Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter and Minister of Economic Affairs Guy Parmelin will follow shortly.

A reporter wants to know what the United States expects from Switzerland—and vice versa. “We have exchanged expectations,” Keller-Sutter said. The United States is following a model that applies to all countries. “We don’t just make offers, but also have to clarify certain points, such as what Switzerland is subsidizing.” “We expect the United States to treat us fairly—we don’t understand why we were subjected to punitive 31 percent tariffs.”

They want a level playing field. "We are an important economic partner of the United States." The US delegation made it clear that it wanted to speed up the process of concluding an agreement. "But they cannot guarantee that we would come second," said the President of the Swiss Confederation.

A journalist asked: "Is Switzerland out of the woods?" KKS replied: "As long as an agreement isn't signed, we're not out of the woods. It's a little too early to say, but it's encouraging. Switzerland's goal is to return to zero tariffs."

Guy Parmelin confirms that the climate of discussions with the United States is "open and constructive." He also comments on discussions with China. A second round of negotiations is planned for July with Beijing.

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter spoke first. She explained that the US had committed to accelerating the process with Switzerland in order to resolve the customs dispute between the two countries. "Discussions then continued on the basis of the US agreement with Great Britain. We hope to be the next ones with whom an agreement in principle can be reached," Keller-Sutter said.

"The US side assured us that the increase in customs duties would be suspended during these discussions, as promised by President Donald Trump."

Guy Parmelin, Minister of the Economy, also took advantage of the meeting with the Chinese Vice Premier to make his statement on X. "Bilateral economic relations and their deepening were at the center of my meeting with the President of the Swiss Confederation @keller_sutter and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Good relations with all our trading partners strengthen resilience."

Trade talks between senior US and Chinese officials scheduled for this weekend in Geneva are "a positive and constructive step towards de-escalation," WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said Friday.

"Sustained dialogue between the world's two largest economies is essential to ease trade tensions, prevent fragmentation along geopolitical lines, and preserve global growth," a World Trade Organization spokesperson added in a brief statement. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to resume dialogue with China, represented by Vice Premier He Lifeng.

The meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng is over. The President of the Confederation (FDP) hasn't revealed much about its content so far. She did, however, insist on reminding X: "Good trade relations are important." We won't know more...

Switzerland will once again attempt on Friday to convince its American partners not to burden its exports with the punitive customs duties promised by Donald Trump, which would have serious consequences for economic activity and employment.

The opportunity is perfect: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is due to come to Geneva to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and try to cool the trade war unleashed by Donald Trump.

This weekend, the world's eyes are on Geneva. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will then meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. This is the first high-level meeting since the escalation of the trade war between the two trading powers.