Switzerland very close to tariff deal with the US, says Roche CEO

An understanding between Bern and Washington in the dispute over customs barriers is close: Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker is convinced of this. Schinecker bases his optimism on the close contact the pharmaceutical giant maintains with the Swiss authorities on this issue. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox. "I believe that an agreement is a matter of days, if not hours," the pharma CEO said in statements reported by the AWP news agency. Switzerland is currently awaiting a response from the United States to a proposal that has been submitted. The pharmaceutical industry also plays a central role in the affair: US President Donald Trump has in fact repeatedly threatened to impose high tariffs on drug imports. The 50-year-old CEO said he is relatively calm: the group could easily expand its production capacities in the US even further. "In recent months we have also replenished our stocks in the US, so for the time being we are well positioned," he concluded.