Switzerland is looking to wrap up an updated free trade deal with China by early 2026, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said on Friday, after holding discussions with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

China is Switzerland’s third-biggest trading partner after the United States and the European Union , and the need to update their existing deal – which entered into force in 2014 – has become more important after the US imposed tariffs of 39% on Swiss imports in August.

“We are pleased that the discussions on modernising (our free trade agreement) are proceeding constructively, and we both hope to be able to complete this work soon,” Cassis told reporters after the pair met in Bellinzona.

“We will probably not achieve this by the end of this year as we had hoped, but we are counting on th

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