The most valuable Swiss exports also include medicines, jewelry, diamonds and coffee.
The following list shows which Swiss exports attracted the most international sales during 2017. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level. Specific data on export sales can help entrepreneurs identify precisely which products in which Switzerland has strong competitive advantages over other nations, and where there are possible opportunities for innovation.
For the most recent four-digit HTS code data, please see the Searchable List of [COUNTRY NAME]’s Most Valuable Exports Products section in the [COUNTRY NAME]’s Top 10 Exports article. For a link to that article, see the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Swiss Export Products
Below are the 20 highest value export products shipped from Switzerland in 2017. Shown within brackets for each item is the change in value year over year.
- Gold (unwrought): US$67.9 billion (down -17.4% since 2016)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $41 billion (up 2.6%)
- Blood fractions (including antisera): $28.1 billion (up 6.6%)
- Wrist/pocket watches (no precious metal case): $12.7 billion (up 2.9%)
- Jewelry: $11.2 billion (up 1.7%)
- Heterocyclics, nucleic acids: $8.3 billion (down -1.9%)
- Wrist/pocket watches (precious metal case): $6.5 billion (up 1%)
- Orthopedic appliances: $6 billion (down -1.4%)
- Electro-medical equipment (e.g. xrays): $3.6 billion (up 10.7%)
- Hormones, miscellaneous steroids: $3.2 billion (up 11.3%)
- Coffee: $2.2 billion (up 9.3%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $2.1 billion (up 4.3%)
- Turbo-jets: $2 billion (up 10.2%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.8 billion (up 21.8%)
- Non-alcoholic drinks (not water/juice/milk): $1.8 billion (down -3.1%)
- Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $1.8 billion (down -11.3%)
- Hand-drawn paintings, drawings: $1.7 billion (up 28%)
- Scents used for beverage or industrial manufacturing: $1.7 billion (up 3.5%)
- Electrical energy: $1.5 billion (down -8.6%)
- Electric motors, generators: $1.4 billion (up 9.2%)
Among these product categories, hand-drawn paintings and drawings posted the greatest increase in value up 28% from 2016 to 2017.
In second place was exported taps, valves and similar appliances which improved 21.8%.
Swiss exports of hormones and miscellaneous steroids showed an 11.3% gain in value, while electro-medical equipment including those used for xrays appreciated by 10.7%.
Overall, exports from Switzerland decreased by an overall -1.7% from 2016 to 2017.
See also Switzerland’s Top 10 Major Export Companies, Switzerland’s Top 10 Exports and Switzerland’s Top 15 Trading Partners
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 5, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on February 5, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on February 5, 2018