Donald Trump told Fox Business that he raised tariffs on Switzerland because he did not like the way the country’s leader spoke to him on the phone.
“I could not get her off the phone,” Trump said, describing a call that he said set off a chain of trade moves.
He said Swiss goods had been coming to the United States “like nobody could believe,” and that he first set a 30% tariff to correct the gap.
“So it was at 30%, and I didn’t really like the way she talked to us, and so instead of giving her a reduction, I raised it to 39%,” he said on the show.
Mr. Trump twice called the Swiss leader a prime minister, even though Switzerland’s top job rotates and carries a different title. Reporters and analysts tied his account to Karin Keller Sutter, who served as Switzerland’s president through last December.
He first mentioned the spat at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he said of the same leader, “She just rubbed me the wrong way, I’ll be honest with you.” That line drew attention because it mixed a personal slight with a major trade policy.
On Larry Kudlow’s Fox Business program Trump said he later eased the rate after Swiss officials pressed him. “And then I got inundated by people from Switzerland and I figured, you know what, we’ll do something that’s a little bit more palatable,” he said.
The remarks come as the U.S. Supreme Court reviews whether the president can set wide reaching tariffs on his own. Legal scholars say the court’s decision could limit or confirm how far a president may go when using trade rules without new laws from Congress.
Critics and analysts reacted quickly. Some said the episode showed how personal disputes can shape policy. Others warned that mixing personal feelings and trade rules can harm businesses and invite years of legal fights.
Trump also told the host that tariffs had helped him solve world problems, a claim met with skepticism. He has on other occasions credited tariffs with stopping conflicts, but experts say that is not how complex international disputes are usually settled.
Swiss trade officials moved to calm the fallout behind closed doors. Diplomats and trade teams negotiated lower duties on some goods while both sides tried to steady markets and reassure firms that relied on cross border trade.
Exporters and banks moved quickly to reassess contracts and shipping plans as uncertainty lingered, while legal teams dug in for what could be a long fight. Traders watched tariffs and court filings for any hint of change, and business groups pressed both capitals for clear rules so firms could plan.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
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