Summary
- Exports
- $399.3billion
- Imports
- $378.9billion
- Trade balance
- +$20.4billion
Products
What it exports
Gold (26.6%) and medicines in measured doses or retail packs (11%) together make up 37.6% of its exports.
What it imports
Gold (28.7%) and medicines in measured doses or retail packs (12.5%) together make up 41.2% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $122.2 billion | $127.7 billion |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $88.9 billion | $67.5 billion |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $33.7 billion | $3.7 billion |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $29.8 billion | $8 billion |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $25.3 billion | $22.5 billion |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $21.3 billion | $9.8 billion |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $15 billion | $16.8 billion |
| 39 · Plastics | $6.4 billion | $8.3 billion |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $5.7 billion | $11.6 billion |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $4 billion | $2 billion |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $4 billion | $1.5 billion |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $2.9 billion | $4.4 billion |
| 87 · Vehicles | $2.7 billion | $18.6 billion |
| 76 · Aluminum | $2.3 billion | $3.3 billion |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $2.2 billion | $2.5 billion |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $2 billion | $992 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $2 billion | $1.1 billion |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $1.9 billion | $2.5 billion |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $1.7 billion | $1.1 billion |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $1.6 billion | $2.5 billion |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $1.5 billion | $1.7 billion |
| 21 · Food preparations | $1.4 billion | $1.1 billion |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $1.3 billion | $2.6 billion |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $1.3 billion | $2.5 billion |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $1 billion | $1.1 billion |
| 74 · Copper | $976 million | $5.8 billion |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $931 million | $1.2 billion |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $928 million | $917 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $832 million | $919 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $789 million | $5.1 billion |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $773 million | $4.5 billion |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $746 million | $820 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $744 million | $756 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $687 million | $428 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $583 million | $398 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $570 million | $3.7 billion |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $536 million | $1 billion |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $516 million | $424 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $510 million | $841 million |
| 44 · Wood | $508 million | $2.2 billion |
| 64 · Footwear | $502 million | $2.4 billion |
| 40 · Rubber | $467 million | $1.7 billion |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $419 million | $1.4 billion |
| 70 · Glass | $410 million | $1 billion |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $362 million | $1.2 billion |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $313 million | $388 million |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $298 million | $193 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $282 million | $184 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $225 million | $263 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $217 million | $1.4 billion |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $217 million | $552 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $208 million | $648 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $204 million | $677 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $178 million | $143 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $176 million | $849 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $167 million | $359 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $146 million | $268 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $136 million | $283 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $132 million | $588 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $117 million | $376 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $107 million | $60 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $107 million | $102 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $101 million | $1.3 billion |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $96 million | $749 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $91 million | $204 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $87 million | $85 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $81 million | $775 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $71 million | $150 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $69 million | $142 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $68 million | $65 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $66 million | $884 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $58 million | $39 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $50 million | $52 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $50 million | $165 million |
| 65 · Hats | $35 million | $214 million |
| 78 · Lead | $34 million | $14 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $32 million | $66 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $31 million | $109 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $30 million | $51 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $27 million | $113 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $27 million | $145 million |
| 51 · Wool | $24 million | $58 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $20 million | $1.6 billion |
| 01 · Live animals | $19 million | $147 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $13 million | $481 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $9 million | $17 million |
| 45 · Cork | $9 million | $24 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $9 million | $57 million |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $8 million | $28 million |
| 80 · Tin | $7 million | $6 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $7 million | $46 million |
| 50 · Silk | $6 million | $7 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $6 million | $624 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $5 million | $674 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $3 million | $28 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $902 thousand | $6 million |
Trading partners
Germany is its main destination (13.2% of exports) and source (17.9% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 52.8 | 13.2% | Land |
| United States | 51.2 | 12.8% | Air |
| China | 46.6 | 11.7% | Air |
| India | 21.9 | 5.5% | Air |
| France | 19.3 | 4.8% | Land |
| Slovenia | 18 | 4.5% | Air |
| Italy | 16.8 | 4.2% | Land |
| Hong Kong | 13.1 | 3.3% | Air |
| United Kingdom | 12.1 | 3% | Air |
| United Arab Emirates | 11.3 | 2.8% | Air |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 67.8 | 17.9% | Land |
| Italy | 31.2 | 8.2% | Land |
| United States | 29.9 | 7.9% | Air |
| France | 21.4 | 5.7% | Land |
| Slovenia | 20.4 | 5.4% | Air |
| China | 19.1 | 5% | Air |
| United Arab Emirates | 13.1 | 3.5% | Air |
| Austria | 10.6 | 2.8% | Land |
| United Kingdom | 8.5 | 2.3% | Air |
| Spain | 8.1 | 2.1% | Air |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Switzerland accounted for 1.7% of world exports, compared with 1.8% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 4.4-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 399
- Imports 379
- Balance +20.4
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $91.3 billion | $86.6 billion | $4.7 billion |
| 1996 | $91.5 billion | $89.3 billion | $2.2 billion |
| 1997 | $90 billion | $83.7 billion | $6.3 billion |
| 1998 | $91.6 billion | $91.6 billion | -$82 million |
| 1999 | $93.1 billion | $89.7 billion | $3.4 billion |
| 2000 | $93.5 billion | $93.7 billion | -$191 million |
| 2001 | $92.7 billion | $95.3 billion | -$2.6 billion |
| 2002 | $99 billion | $95.6 billion | $3.4 billion |
| 2003 | $112.8 billion | $110.2 billion | $2.6 billion |
| 2004 | $132.7 billion | $127.2 billion | $5.5 billion |
| 2005 | $144 billion | $143.9 billion | $118 million |
| 2006 | $158.5 billion | $159.4 billion | -$895 million |
| 2007 | $191.7 billion | $184.2 billion | $7.5 billion |
| 2008 | $230.3 billion | $216.2 billion | $14.1 billion |
| 2009 | $187.7 billion | $191.8 billion | -$4.1 billion |
| 2010 | $227.1 billion | $213.7 billion | $13.3 billion |
| 2011 | $295.3 billion | $265.7 billion | $29.6 billion |
| 2012 | $283 billion | $310.4 billion | -$27.4 billion |
| 2013 | $347.7 billion | $273.6 billion | $74.1 billion |
| 2014 | $302.5 billion | $286 billion | $16.5 billion |
| 2015 | $279.5 billion | $237.4 billion | $42.1 billion |
| 2016 | $280.8 billion | $280.8 billion | -$28 million |
| 2017 | $300.4 billion | $278.8 billion | $21.6 billion |
| 2018 | $303.7 billion | $291.2 billion | $12.4 billion |
| 2019 | $288.6 billion | $285.3 billion | $3.3 billion |
| 2020 | $293.6 billion | $298.5 billion | -$4.9 billion |
| 2021 | $365.6 billion | $339.5 billion | $26.1 billion |
| 2022 | $390.8 billion | $372.6 billion | $18.2 billion |
| 2023 | $402.3 billion | $380.8 billion | $21.5 billion |
| 2024 | $399.3 billion | $378.9 billion | $20.4 billion |
World rank
Switzerland fell from 15th to 16th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 15th in 1995
- 16th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 15th |
| 1996 | 18th |
| 1997 | 18th |
| 1998 | 15th |
| 1999 | 17th |
| 2000 | 18th |
| 2001 | 17th |
| 2002 | 18th |
| 2003 | 19th |
| 2004 | 18th |
| 2005 | 19th |
| 2006 | 19th |
| 2007 | 19th |
| 2008 | 19th |
| 2009 | 20th |
| 2010 | 20th |
| 2011 | 17th |
| 2012 | 18th |
| 2013 | 14th |
| 2014 | 18th |
| 2015 | 15th |
| 2016 | 15th |
| 2017 | 18th |
| 2018 | 18th |
| 2019 | 20th |
| 2020 | 19th |
| 2021 | 19th |
| 2022 | 22nd |
| 2023 | 17th |
| 2024 | 16th |
What it sells
Gems and precious metals became its top export group: from 11% to 31%
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 14%
- Plastics 2%
- Electrical and electronic equipment 4%
- Precision and medical instruments 5%
- Mechanical machinery 6%
- Organic chemicals 7%
- Watches and clocks 8%
- Pharmaceuticals 22%
- Gems and precious metals 31%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Gems and precious metals | 11.4% | 30.6% |
| Pharmaceuticals | 7.3% | 22.3% |
| Watches and clocks | 7.5% | 8.5% |
| Organic chemicals | 8.6% | 7.5% |
| Mechanical machinery | 18.6% | 6.4% |
| Precision and medical instruments | 5% | 5.3% |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 8.6% | 3.8% |
| Plastics | 3.3% | 1.6% |
| Other | 29.9% | 14.2% |
Who it trades with
Germany went from 26% to 16% of Switzerland's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- Germany 16%
- United States 10%
- China 8%
- Italy 6%
- France 5%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 26.1% | 15.5% |
| United States | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| China | 1.1% | 8.4% |
| Italy | 9.2% | 6.2% |
| France | 10% | 5.2% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeSources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.