The most valuable Swiss imports also include mobile phones and computers. Fossil fuels including refined and crude oils and petroleum gases also appear among Switzerland’s highest value imports.
The following list shows on which product categories Swiss importers spent the most. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level. This can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products in which Switzerland has strong demand perhaps competitive disadvantages compared with other nations. Innovation satisfying that demand can transform these disadvantages into lucrative business opportunities.
For the most recent four-digit HTS code data, please see the link to Switzerland’s Top 10 Imports article in the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Swiss Import Products
Below are the 20 highest value import products delivered to Swiss importers during 2017. Shown within brackets is the change in value for each imported product over the 5-year period starting in 2013.
- Gold (unwrought): US$69.8 billion (Down -41.3% from 2013 to 2017)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $19.3 billion (Up 25.7%)
- Jewelry: $11.2 billion (Up 26.8%)
- Cars: $10.5 billion (Up 2.8%)
- Blood fractions (including antisera): $8.8 billion (Up 41.2%)
- Heterocyclics, nucleic acids: $5.5 billion (Down -18.1%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $4.1 billion (Down -42.1%)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $3.4 billion (Up 6%)
- Computers, optical readers: $3 billion (Down -11.6%)
- Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $2.5 billion (Down -7.6%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $2.2 billion (Up 110.2%)
- Precious metal waste, scrap: $2.1 billion (Up 344.5%)
- Electro-medical equipment (e.g. xrays): $2.1 billion (Up 9%)
- Miscellaneous furniture: $2.1 billion (Down -8.1%)
- Orthopedic appliances: $1.8 billion (Up 7.9%)
- Electrical energy: $1.7 billion (Down -22.6%)
- Wrist/pocket watches (precious metal case): $1.5 billion (Up 39.4%)
- Hand-drawn paintings, drawings: $1.3 billion (Down -14.4%)
- Trucks: $1.3 billion (Down -2.7%)
- Turbo-jets: $1.2 billion (Up 36.3%)
Among these product categories, precious metal waste and scrap posted the greatest increase in Swiss import purchases with a 344.5% gain in value from $475.4 million in 2013 to $2.1 billion for 2017.
In second place were imported aircraft and spacecraft which appreciated 110.2%.
Swiss imports of blood fractions including antisera rose 41.2%, while wrist or pocket watches with precious metal case also showed a respectable gain up 39.4% over the 5-year period.
Leading the decliners were processed petroleum oils (down -42.1%) and unprocessed gold (down -41.3%).
See also Switzerland’s Top Trading Partners and, Switzerland’s Top 10 Imports, Switzerland’s Top 10 Exports
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: Imports 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