Switzerland–United States relations
Switzerland |
United States |
---|---|
Diplomatic mission | |
Embassy of Switzerland, Washington, D.C. | Embassy of the United States, Bern |
Envoy | |
Swiss Ambassador to the United States Jacques Pitteloud | American Ambassador to Switzerland Scott Miller |
Diplomatic relations between Switzerland and the United States were established in 1853 by the U.S. and in 1868 by Switzerland. The first diplomatic representation of the U.S. was established in Basel in 1853.
History
Consular relations
With the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, many Swiss sought a more peaceful and prosperous life in America. A sizable number emigrated to the United States, especially from the cantons of Vaud and Lucerne.[1] As early as 1815, representatives from the two respective cantons had proposed to the Federal Diet that the country establish a consulate in either Philadelphia or New York City to ensure the rights of their merchants and expatriates. The following year the Diet resolved to create a consulate in New York. It was initially decided that their consul would be chosen from the Swiss population in America, but no appointment was ever made. In July 1822, with consultation from Swiss–American diplomat Albert Gallatin, the Diet appointed its first two consuls to the United States: Henry Casimir de Rham of Yverdon-les-Bains, canton of Vaud, a banker and merchant and then-resident of New York; and Antoine Charles Cazenove of Geneva, a wine and tobacco merchant and then-resident of Alexandria, Virginia.[2] Niklaus Rudolf von Wattenwyl, the chairman of the Diet, sent a letter to United States President James Monroe, asking him to grant the appointees an exequatur and emphasizing the liberal and federal characteristics shared by both of their countries' constitutions. The letter marked the first official correspondence between the governments of Switzerland and the United States and established a precedent for the character of relations between them throughout the rest of the 1800s.[3]
The United States granted the exequatur. Gallatin advised the Diet on how to divide the territory to be administered by the two new consuls. De Rham assumed responsibility for a district encompassing the New England states, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the states north of the Ohio River. Cazenove managed the remainder of the United States. Their main charge was to protect the interests and property of Swiss immigrants and travelers, particularly merchants. Both performed their duties in an honorary capacity outside of their regular business, with de Rham serving until 1842 and Cazenove until 1852. The latter's responsibilities in his later service became increasingly diplomatic.[2]
Switzerland's cotton and silk exports to the United States increased significantly throughout the 1820s, making it more desirable for the latter to establish its own consulate. In 1830, John G. Boker, businessman from New York City and a friend of Chief Clerk of the Department of State Daniel Brent, was appointed to be the first American consul to Switzerland. He arrived that fall in Bern and was warmly received by the chairman of the Diet.[3] While waiting for his commission to be approved by the 22 cantons, Boker moved to Basel, as most Swiss exports to America passed through there. Impatient with the tedious nature of the decentralized government, he opened his consulate in October without official Swiss recognition.[4]
The United States consuls in Switzerland were busy in their early years. Since their income was dependent on
Diplomatic relations
Diplomatic relations were established in 1853 by the U.S. and in 1868 by Switzerland. The first diplomatic representation of the U.S. was established in Basel in 1853.
The U.S. Embassy in Switzerland is in
The relations entered a tense phase during the World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banks starting in 1995. The American government supported the heirs of the Holocaust victims and the Swiss had to re-evaluate the role of
As of January 2021, the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland is temporarily being held by
Moreover, Switzerland acts as the
Switzerland has an embassy in Washington, D.C., and maintains consulates-general in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and San Francisco and has a consulate in Boston.[8]
On 29 March 2021, Swiss Ambassador to the U.S.
Switzerland was the country that hosted the 2021 Russia–United States summit, in Geneva.
In 2022, the
Both countries enjoy historically close ties, common interests, shared traditions, and remarkable political similarities as federal unions of independent states with representative democracies.[11]
-
Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C.
-
Consulate-General of Switzerland in San Francisco
-
Embassy of the United States in Bern
-
Consular Agency and Permanent Mission of the United States in Geneva
Bilateral agreements
The first four years of cooperation under the U.S.-Swiss Joint Economic Commission (JEC) invigorated bilateral ties by recording achievements in a number of areas, including consultations on anti-
The United States and Switzerland signed three new agreements in 2006 that will complement the JEC. The first of the new agreements is the Enhanced Political Framework and was signed by Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns and Swiss State Secretary Michael Ambühl. The second agreement is the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum and was signed by then-U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman and then-Economics and Trade Minister Joseph Deiss. The last agreement is the revised Operative Working Arrangement on Law Enforcement Cooperation on Counterterrorism and was signed by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and then-Swiss Justice Minister Christoph Blocher.
In February 2013, the
In July 2015 Switzerland and the United States signed an organic food equivalency agreement; any product certified as organic in one country may be sold as organic in the other.[13]
In July 2019, the
On 16 April 2024, Swiss Federal Councillor
Trade
Switzerland's cumulative direct investment in the U.S. amounts to $300 billion (2020). Swiss companies directly support half-a-million jobs in the United States (2019).[16]
Total exports of U.S. goods amounted to $18.3 billion and services (mostly business services and intellectual property licenses) over $42 billion in 2020. In terms of total trade, the United States is Switzerland's second largest trading partner, preceded by Germany and followed by China. Total U.S. direct investment in Switzerland was valued at $229 billion (2019). U.S. companies employ approximately 100,000 workers in Switzerland.[17]
The Swiss government plans to buy 36
See also
References
- ^ Meier 1963, p. 15
- ^ a b Meier 1963, p. 16
- ^ a b Meier 1963, p. 17
- ^ Meier 1963, p. 18
- ^ Meier 1963, p. 19
- ^ Embassy of the United States in Bern
- ^ Sanger, David E. (26 July 1997). "New Twist on Swiss Accounts: Envoy Sees Her Mother's Name (Published 1997)". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C.
- ^ Williams, Jordan (March 31, 2021). "Swiss ambassador assaulted by intruders at DC residence". The Hill. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "US commission accuses Switzerland of hiding Russian assets". 5 May 2022.
- ASIN B008R03TOE.
- ^ Das Abkommen zwischen der Schweiz und den USA zum US-Steuergesetz FATCA ist unterzeichnet. (in German). Blick.com Wirtschaft. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ^ Jones-Ellard, Sam (9 July 2015). "United States and Switzerland Streamline Organic Trade". usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- ^ "US signs off on ‘milestone’ double taxation treaty with Switzerland". The Local.ch. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ published, Josh Dinner (2024-04-16). "Switzerland signs Artemis Accords to join NASA in moon exploration". Space.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Swiss Direct Investment in the United States". Eidgenössisches Departement für auswärtige Angelegenheiten EDA. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ "Switzerland - Market Overview". International Trade Administration. 2021-10-09. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ "Swiss government sets sights on F-35A fighter jet fleet". SWI swissinfo.ch. 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
Sources
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
- Meier, Heinz K. (1963). The United States and Switzerland in the Nineteenth Century. Studies in American History. Vol. I. The Hague: Mouton & Co.
External links
- History of Switzerland - U.S. relations
- Swiss American Historical Society
- Embassy of the United States Bern, Switzerland at Google Cultural Institute
- U.S. Relations With Switzerland - U.S. Department of State
- Switzerland-United States bilateral relations - Swiss federal administration