00:00President Donald Trump said he increased tariffs on Switzerland after objecting to how the country's
00:04leader spoke during a phone call, according to remarks made in a Fox Business interview
00:07that aired Tuesday, speaking with host Larry Kudlow, who served as a top economic advisor
00:12during Trump's first administration. The president defended his broader tariff strategy while
00:16discussing trade policy toward Switzerland. Trump said the United States had previously
00:20allowed Swiss goods to enter with no tariffs, which he argued contributed to a trade deficit.
00:24Trump stated he initially imposed a 30% tariff on Swiss imports, describing it as
00:29very low, and claimed the measure reduced the deficit by roughly half. He then recalled
00:33receiving a call from what he described as the prime minister of Switzerland, saying the leader
00:37was nice but very aggressive in pushing back against the tariffs. Switzerland does not have
00:41a prime minister. The country operates under a rotating presidency system, and Karen Keller
00:46Sutter served as president until the end of last year. Trump did not mention her by name during
00:50the interview, but appeared to reference her while describing the exchange. According to Trump,
00:54the tariff rate was later raised from 30% to 39% after the call. He said he ultimately
00:59lowered the rate to around 15% following outreach from Swiss officials and business representatives.
01:04Trump previously made similar remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month,
01:08where he also referenced Switzerland's leader without naming her and criticized the country
01:12over trade imbalances. During the Fox Business interview, Trump also repeated claims that tariffs
01:16helped resolve multiple international conflicts, though he did not provide details or evidence
01:21supporting those assertions. The comments come as the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon
01:25on a major legal challenge to Trump's tariff policies. The case could determine the scope
01:29of presidential authority to impose broad trade tariffs without congressional approval.
01:34Legal analysts have said the ruling may significantly affect both U.S. trade policy
01:37and executive power. Trump told Fox Business he hoped the court would do what's right for the country,
01:42while indicating he would seek alternative approaches if the decision goes against his administration.
01:46Swiss officials have previously expressed concern about the tariffs, warning they could impact
01:50bilateral trade relations in key export sectors. For continued coverage of global trade policy and
01:55court decisions, follow verified reporting sources.
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