Swiss watch industry hit by tariffs as May exports fall 9.5%


By

Bloomberg

Published



June 19, 2025

Swiss watch exports dropped by almost 10% in May, driven by a sharp decline in shipments to the US. The fall reverses the previous month’s surge, when manufacturers rushed to export ahead of anticipated tariffs.

US tariffs trigger sharp fall in Swiss watch exports in May
US tariffs trigger sharp fall in Swiss watch exports in May – AFP

Total shipments fell 9.5% to 2.1 billion Swiss francs ($2.6 billion), the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said in a statement Thursday. Exports to the US—the largest market for Swiss watches—fell by just over 25%.

The latest figures underscore the pressure of President Donald Trump’s trade policies on the luxury watch sector. In early April, the US imposed a 10% levy on imports from Switzerland and has threatened to raise it to as much as 31% if a new trade agreement isn’t secured. Any additional increase would significantly affect the industry.

Shares of Swatch Group AG and Compagnie Financière Richemont SA dropped as much as 2.3% and 2.5%, respectively, during early trading in Zurich.

Shipments to Asia also declined, with China, Japan and Hong Kong all posting double-digit drops, further compounding the industry’s global challenges.

“The rise of ‘luxury fatigue,’ a declining ‘feel-good factor’ from luxury purchases, and worsening consumer sentiment all contribute to a less optimistic outlook,” Vontobel analyst Jean-Philippe Bertschy said in a note.

The decline in the Swiss watch sector mirrors a broader slowdown in the export-driven Swiss economy. Overall, foreign sales fell 42% in May, narrowing the country’s trade surplus by the largest margin in nearly five years.



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