Commodity trading worth as much as tourism

Switzerland’s commodities trading industry generated CHF 19.2bn in added value last year, according to new figures released by the Federal Statistics Office.

That’s about 2.3% of GDP - a contribution comparable to tourism, though far below heavyweights like the pharmaceutical sector, which produces around CHF 75bn.

The data show a strong geographical concentration.

Companies based in Geneva and Zug account for more than 85% of the sector’s value.

This is the first time these figures have been collected, making year-on-year comparisons impossible.

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