Bern, 5 October 2026 · Message and classification
On the first anniversary of the TEPA trade agreement, the Federal Government announced a visit to India by Guy Parmelin from 5 to 7 October. The programme focuses on political discussions and economic and scientific contacts.
What makes the agreement possible
According to SECO, the agreement in force since October 2025 improves market access for 94.7 percent of the previous Swiss exports to India, measured at the value of the goods from 2018 to 2023 without gold.
This is a potential calculation based on the trade at that time, and it is not possible to derive any already achieved profit or a guaranteed increase in sales for an individual company.
In the capital chapter, target values of $100 billion and a million additional jobs in India over 15 years are common to the EFTA States, so the Swiss Confederation does not promise any government transfer at this level; activities for investment promotion are planned. [3]
The decisive step is in operation
The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security explains these requirements in its circular to the Agreement. [4] For a company, the implementation therefore begins with a specific question: what conditions apply to exactly the product it wants to export?
Classification: Success after the summit
From the point of view of the editors, the debate should be more or less oriented towards large target figures than to verifiable results. Can smaller companies also use the rules? Can efforts and cut-in duties be brought into a reasonable relationship?