The Japan-Switzerland free trade agreement: how to benefit from preferential duties

Since 2009, Japan and Switzerland have had a bilateral free trade and economic partnership agreement. For a maker exporting to Switzerland, its practical effect is simple: many products enter with reduced or zero customs duty, provided their Japanese origin is documented correctly.

What the agreement covers

Industrial products, including machinery, components, textiles, ceramics, cosmetics and most consumer goods, benefit from duty elimination. For agricultural and food products, the picture is more nuanced: some lines are duty-free, others carry reduced duties, and sensitive products remain subject to the normal tariff. Fujisan checks the tariff line of each product before quoting.

Rules of origin

A product qualifies when it is wholly obtained in Japan or sufficiently processed there according to the product-specific rule of the agreement. For most processed foods and manufactured goods, this means that the main transformation takes place in Japan, even if some inputs are imported. A sake brewed in Japan from Japanese rice qualifies; a product merely packed in Japan from foreign components generally does not.

Proving origin

Origin is declared either through a certificate of origin issued by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or through an origin declaration on the invoice by an approved exporter. For a maker starting out, the certificate route is the simplest; the exporter applies to its local chamber with the product description and supporting documents.

What this means in practice

• Lower landed cost, which translates into a more competitive shelf price or a better margin for the maker.
• One additional document per shipment, which Fujisan requests from the maker with the commercial invoice.
• Records to keep: the Swiss customs authority may verify origin claims for several years after import.

And the European Union

A separate agreement between Japan and the EU, in force since 2019, offers similar benefits for shipments destined for EU countries. The rules of origin are close but not identical, and the proof of origin follows the EU system. Fujisan prepares both when a product is launched in Switzerland and the EU.

This guide is general information prepared by Fujisan Sagl and is not legal advice. Regulations change; we verify the applicable requirements for each product before import.