Watch makers fight against US tariffs

Switzerland's watch industry is pushing Washington for an exemption from the new 12.5% US tariff that took effect on Friday.

Georges Kern, chief executive of Breitling, has made the public case in interviews with the NZZ am Sonntag and Newsweek, arguing that a product America does not manufacture should not be protected. 

He points to the exemptions already granted to Scotch whisky and to coffee, a decision from which Nestlé's Swiss-made capsules gain considerably. 

The head of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, Yves Bugmann, confirms the sector has been lobbying since Donald Trump's first tariff threats. 

More from Bitesize News

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play