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trade agreement switzerland-united kingdom

Trade agreement Switzerland-United Kingdom – Important: changed rules of origin

 

After the one-year transition period, the United Kingdom left the EU internal market and the EU customs union. Furthermore, the international agreements of the EU no longer apply to the United Kingdom. They have been replaced by a new agreement. At the same time, the free trade agreement between Switzerland and the United Kingdom has been in force since January 1, 2021.

 

Unfortunately, these two agreements are not fully compatible. For exports to the United Kingdom, Swiss exporters must observe the following points when claiming preferential origin since January 1, 2021.

 

• Primary materials from the EU are considered to be third countries in the manufacture of goods in Switzerland, even if they were previously imported duty-free. For exports to the United Kingdom, these may no longer be considered as originating goods when calculating the origin. We therefore advise Swiss exporters of goods to the United Kingdom to check their preference calculation.
• If Swiss exporters purchase goods from the EU with preferential treatment and send them on to the United Kingdom, no EUR 1 movement certificates / declarations of origin may be issued. Customs duties must be paid by the importer when importing into the UK.

Further information can be found on the webpage of the Federal Customs Administration