On 12 December 2025, the Swiss Federal Council announced its decision to significantly expand Switzerland’s sanctions against Iran (see press release here) following a comprehensive revision of the Ordinance on Measures against the Islamic Republic of Iran (“Iran Ordinance”; see link here). With this revision, the Swiss government implemented several recent UN Security Council resolutions, effectively restoring Switzerland’s sanctions regime to the level that existed before 2016. The revision also introduces additional measures relating to…
Baker McKenzie’s Global Import Blog published this post on the new trade agreement framework between Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the United States. Under the framework, the United States will reduce these tariffs to 15%, aligning Switzerland and Liechtenstein with the treatment given to the European Union in exchange for various concessions and commitments made by Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The agreement will also enhance enforcement of trade sanctions and US export controls through closer coordination. In May…
On 29 October 2025 and after more than three months, Switzerland finalized the implementation of the EU’s 18th sanctions package by updating the Ordinance on measures in connection with the situation in Ukraine (“Ukraine Ordinance”; see press release here). At the same day, the Federal Council also introduced new measures against Belarus by revising the Ordinance on measures against Belarus (“Belarus Ordinance”). These new measures (with one exception) entered into force on 30 October 2025…
On 13 August 2025, the Swiss government adopted the Ordinance on the harmonization of sanctions ordinances (“Ordinance”), introducing a number of provisions relating to financial sanctions and their exceptions and derogations in relation to 14 of the 28 sanctions regimes in force in Switzerland (already briefly mentioned here). The Ordinance will come into effect on 15 September 2025. The sanctions regimes affected by the amendments introduced by the Ordinance are the following: In essence, the…