It is said that Switzerland is the "most European of European
nations". This moniker undoubtedly stems from it being
a multilingual, multicultural confederation of French, German
and Italian heritages. Recently, and seemingly at odds with
it being outside the EU, Switzerland is becoming increasingly
attractive as a location for companies based elsewhere in Europe.
The country has recently concluded a series of bilateral agreements
with the EU to further facilitate business with the EU. Read
more.
U.S. exporters can benefit from Switzerland's position as a
gateway to the rest of Europe. Many U.S. firms have identified
Swiss partners to cover not only the Swiss market, but also
EU markets (European, Middle Eastern, African).
By the end of 2007, doing business with the EU will be even
more attractive when the market for labor will be totally open
for citizens from the European Union.
Switzerland is a member of the EFTA, meaning that goods move
between the country and the EU free of quotas and without customs
barriers for access to a market of more than 380 million.
