In addition to being party to the European Free Trade Association Convention and a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union, Switzerland currently has a network of 33 FTAs with 43 partners. Most of Switzerland’s trade agreements have been signed through EFTA; however, Switzerland has the option of concluding FTAs outside of EFTA, as it did with the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. A free trade agreement between EFTA and the Mercosur countries of South America has been negotiated but not yet signed. For a comprehensive list of Switzerland’s trade agreements with other countries, visit the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs’ website.
The United States and Switzerland have strong bilateral economic ties. In 2006, the United States and Switzerland formed a Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum to discuss and achieve progress in trade topics of mutual interest. Since then, the Forum has addressed various registration and regulatory complications individual companies faced in either the U.S. or Switzerland, and the Forum’s work led to the signing of a Joint Declaration on e-commerce in 2008. Another vehicle for bilateral cooperation is the U.S.-Swiss Joint Economic Commission, which covers issues of bilateral economic relations, including trade, investment, anti-money laundering efforts, regulatory cooperation, and intellectual property rights, among other topics. As an EFTA member, Switzerland also participates in the U.S.-EFTA Trade Policy Dialogue.
Geneva is host to the headquarters of the World Trade Organization (WTO), several UN agencies, and other international bodies.