swissinfo - Swiss Economics Minister Doris Leuthard met in Davos with United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab. She then spoke with swissinfo's Pierre-François Besson about progress in the two countries' trade forum. The forum was set up in 2006 following a decision by both countries not to sign a bilateral agreement.
Leuthard noted that the forum is important for Switzerland in part because the US is one of the largest foreign investors in the country. The framework for the forum is still being worked out, she noted, but in December the two parties agreed to cover three themes: electronic commerce, intellectual property and some agricultural sectors. "Hopefully we will see some concrete results this year," she said.
Asked about the impact of the new Democratic majority in the US Congress, she said it appears that the Democrats are interested in setting standards, in industries, for example, and they are less interested in multilateral ties. (continue reading)→