That dollar amount results from a 45.6% increase compared to $380.6 billion five years earlier during 2021.
Year over year, the overall value of Switzerland’s exported goods accelerated by 24% from $446.8 billion in 2024.
Based on average exchange rates for 2025, the Swiss franc depreciated by -5.6% against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025. Switzerland’s weaker local currency makes the Swiss Confederation’s exports paid with comparatively stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for buyers starting with American currency.
Switzerland’s 5 biggest exports by value were unwrought gold, blood fractions including antisera, medication mixes in dosage, heterocyclics and nucleic acids, then wrist or pocket watches without a precious metal case. Collectively, that quintet of most valuable Swiss exports generated about two-thirds (66.5%) of the overall value of Switzerland’s exported goods during 2025.
Switzerland’s Best International Trade Customers
The latest available country-specific data shows that 78.1% of products exported from Switzerland was bought by importers in: United States of America (21.9% of the Swiss total), Germany (11%), United Kingdom (10.5%), mainland China (6.5%), France (5.9%), Slovenia (5.7%), Italy (5.3%), India (2.9%), Türkiye (2.4%), Austria (2.1%), United Arab Emirates (also 2.1%) and Japan (1.7%).
From a continental perspective, 49.6% of Switzerland exports by value was delivered to fellow European countries while 24.5% was sold to importers in Asia. Switzerland shipped another 23.4% worth of goods to customers in North America.
Smaller percentages went to buyers in Latin America (1.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.7%) then Oceania (0.6%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Switzerland has continued to vote against joining the European Union in referendums. Nevertheless, Switzerland sold 38% of its total exports to EU member states.
Given Switzerland’s population of 9 million people, its total US$554 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $61,350 for every resident in the central European nation. That per-capita dollar amount surpasses the average $50,300 one year earlier for 2024.
Switzerland’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups categorize the highest dollar value in Swiss global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Switzerland.
- Gems, precious metals: US$221 billion (39.9% of total exports)
- Pharmaceuticals: $120.4 billion (21.7%)
- Organic chemicals: $50.2 billion (9.1%)
- Clocks, watches including parts: $30.8 billion (5.6%)
- Machinery including computers: $25.9 billion (4.7%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $21.3 billion (3.9%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $16.5 billion (3%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $6.2 billion (1.1%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $5.5 billion (1%)
- Coffee, tea, spices: $4.3 billion (0.8%)
Switzerland’s top 10 export product categories generated 90.6% of the overall value of its global shipments.
Gems and precious metals represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 61.3% from 2024 to 2025.
In second place for improving export sales was electrical machinery and equipment which rose 9.4%.
Switzerland’s shipments of pharmaceuticals posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 9% year over year.
The most modest gainer among Switzerland’s top 10 export categories was the machinery including computers grouping (up 2.4%).
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more detailed view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section below.
Searchable List of Switzerland’s Most Valuable Export Products
At the more granular four-digit HTS code level, the following searchable table displays 100 of the most in-demand goods shipped from Switzerland during 2025. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2024.
| Rank | Swiss Export Product | Value (US$) | YOY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gold (unwrought) | $116,356,061,000 | +68.3% |
| 2 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $59,400,614,000 | +16.8% |
| 3 | Medication mixes in dosage | $49,691,643,000 | +0.03% |
| 4 | Heterocyclics, nucleic acids | $33,737,654,000 | +4.9% |
| 5 | Wrist/pocket watches (no precious metal case) | $17,339,974,000 | +3.4% |
| 6 | Jewelry | $13,534,723,000 | +12.3% |
| 7 | Wrist/pocket watches (precious metal case) | $10,897,140,000 | +6.2% |
| 8 | Orthopedic appliances | $7,286,620,000 | +8.8% |
| 9 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $4,344,322,000 | +8.6% |
| 10 | Electrical energy | $4,392,302,000 | +5.3% |
| 11 | Coffee | $3,948,959,000 | +7.1% |
| 12 | Silver (unwrought) | $1,932,349,000 | +88.4% |
| 13 | Miscellaneous heterocyclics | $2,614,475,000 | +33.4% |
| 14 | Sulphonamides | $3,067,599,000 | +11.7% |
| 15 | Miscellaneous machinery | $2,613,232,000 | -3.7% |
| 16 | Hand-drawn paintings, drawings | $1,346,655,000 | +82.8% |
| 17 | Platinum (unwrought) | $1,288,463,000 | +88% |
| 18 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $2,263,041,000 | +6.9% |
| 19 | Scents used for beverage or industrial manufacturing | $2,210,102,000 | +4.9% |
| 20 | Physical/chemical analysis tools | $2,127,926,000 | -0.04% |
| 21 | Electric motors, generators | $1,882,950,000 | +4.2% |
| 22 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $1,595,635,000 | +18.5% |
| 23 | Temperature-change machines | $1,784,780,000 | -3% |
| 24 | Turbo-jets | $1,346,134,000 | +28.1% |
| 25 | Air or vacuum pumps | $1,394,197,000 | +20.7% |
| 26 | Liquid/gas checking instruments | $1,435,286,000 | +11.7% |
| 27 | High-voltage switches, fuses | $1,280,600,000 | +21.3% |
| 28 | Hormones, miscellaneous steroids | $1,124,593,000 | +38.1% |
| 29 | Electrical converters/power units | $1,421,295,000 | +7.9% |
| 30 | Non-alcoholic drinks (not water/juice/milk) | $1,548,608,000 | -1.5% |
| 31 | Other measuring/testing machines | $1,357,393,000 | +8.9% |
| 32 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $1,172,021,000 | +24.1% |
| 33 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $1,222,957,000 | +8.9% |
| 34 | Diamonds (unmounted/unset) | $1,393,112,000 | -13.2% |
| 35 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $1,416,910,000 | -16% |
| 36 | Automobile parts/accessories | $1,142,567,000 | +3.5% |
| 37 | Dishwashing, clean/dry/fill machines | $1,104,049,000 | +5% |
| 38 | Carboxyamid/amide-function compounds | $1,151,902,000 | -1.2% |
| 39 | Aluminum plates, sheets, strips | $778,031,000 | +43.9% |
| 40 | Precious metal waste, scrap | $827,620,000 | +35.2% |
| 41 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $1,072,050,000 | +3.3% |
| 42 | Electric circuit parts, fuses, switches | $883,287,000 | +18.3% |
| 43 | Integrated circuits/microassemblies | $949,319,000 | +9.4% |
| 44 | Insulated wire/cable | $924,692,000 | +11.7% |
| 45 | Provitamins, vitamins | $278,951,000 | +267.9% |
| 46 | Railway/subway cars | $441,969,000 | +124.2% |
| 47 | Transmission shafts, gears, clutches | $919,268,000 | +4.6% |
| 48 | Other machine parts, accessories | $1,024,528,000 | -6.2% |
| 49 | Iron and steel screws, bolts, nuts, washers | $928,076,000 | -0.03% |
| 50 | Precious/semi-precious stones (unstrung) | $868,471,000 | +4.7% |
| 51 | Cars | $815,607,000 | +10.9% |
| 52 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $839,151,000 | +4.9% |
| 53 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $832,530,000 | +5.1% |
| 54 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $824,140,000 | +4.5% |
| 55 | Antibiotics | $867,401,000 | -0.8% |
| 56 | Cheese, curd | $820,639,000 | +3.7% |
| 57 | Processed petroleum oils | $840,484,000 | -1% |
| 58 | Polyamides | $796,659,000 | +4% |
| 59 | Computers, optical readers | $641,091,000 | +26.3% |
| 60 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $828,059,000 | -2.8% |
| 61 | Rubber/plastic article making machines | $672,285,000 | +16.1% |
| 62 | Interchangeable hand/machine tools | $734,588,000 | +5.9% |
| 63 | Other food preparations | $739,558,000 | +2.8% |
| 64 | Precious metal compounds | $543,571,000 | +39.4% |
| 65 | Electrical machinery | $615,767,000 | +16.8% |
| 66 | Medication mixes not in dosage | $826,161,000 | -14.9% |
| 67 | Solar power diodes/semi-conductors | $741,298,000 | -5.4% |
| 68 | Plastic tubes, pipes, fittings | $660,823,000 | +5.5% |
| 69 | Hand saws, blades | $632,768,000 | +8.3% |
| 70 | Aircraft or spacecraft parts | $474,312,000 | +40.8% |
| 71 | Polyacetal/ether/carbonates | $633,009,000 | +3.3% |
| 72 | Phone system devices | $537,199,000 | +18.1% |
| 73 | Heterocyclics, oxygen | $627,407,000 | -1.4% |
| 74 | Print/write/draw inks | $611,663,000 | +0.1% |
| 75 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $552,179,000 | +6.3% |
| 76 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $549,857,000 | +4.3% |
| 77 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $546,632,000 | +4.1% |
| 78 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $549,984,000 | +3.2% |
| 79 | Men's suits, trousers (not knit or crochet) | $507,542,000 | +9.3% |
| 80 | Material removal machine-tools | $551,379,000 | -0.2% |
| 81 | Women's clothing (not knit or crochet) | $505,178,000 | +8.6% |
| 82 | Machine tools for sharpening, grinding, polishing | $558,605,000 | -2.1% |
| 83 | Bombs, grenades, ammunition | $319,998,000 | +68.9% |
| 84 | Copper waste, scrap | $507,892,000 | +6% |
| 85 | Metal soldering/hot-spray equipment | $532,209,000 | -0.1% |
| 86 | Sutures, special pharmaceutical goods | $476,782,000 | +9.6% |
| 87 | Printing machinery | $542,172,000 | -4.1% |
| 88 | Survey/hydro/weather instruments | $490,823,000 | +5.4% |
| 89 | Miscellaneous furniture | $464,647,000 | +10.4% |
| 90 | Hydrazine/hydroxylamine derivatives | $526,202,000 | -6.6% |
| 91 | Footwear (leather) | $456,081,000 | +6.8% |
| 92 | Miscellaneous iron and steel structures | $438,170,000 | +10.6% |
| 93 | Machinery for making semi-conductors | $513,452,000 | -9.8% |
| 94 | Other clock/watch parts | $457,950,000 | -1% |
| 95 | Flour/meal/starch/malt extract food preparations | $449,998,000 | +0.5% |
| 96 | Cases, handbags, wallets | $534,874,000 | -16.2% |
| 97 | Lifting/loading machinery | $447,960,000 | -1.6% |
| 98 | Spray/dispersing mechanical appliances | $409,460,000 | +7.3% |
| 99 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $402,156,000 | +6.2% |
| 100 | Machinery parts | $334,774,000 | +27.2% |
These 100 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$509.7 billion or 92% by value for all products exported from Switzerland during 2025.
Products Generating Switzerland’s Greatest Surpluses
Switzerland posted a US$48.3 billion trade surplus for 2025. That positive balance represents a -37.4% decrease from $77.2 billion in black ink one year earlier.
The following types of Swiss product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Pharmaceuticals: US$41.4 billion (Down by -2.8% since 2024)
- Organic chemicals: $39.2 billion (Up by 0.3%)
- Clocks, watches including parts: $26.9 billion (Up by 4.3%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $10.9 billion (Up by 7.2%)
- Machinery including computers: $2.4 billion (Down by -15.9%)
- Coffee, tea, spices: $2.2 billion (Down by -8.7%)
- Perfumes, cosmetics: $2 billion (Down by -8.5%)
- Base metal tools, cutlery: $1 billion (Up by 12.6%)
- Tanning, dyes, paints, varnishes, ink: $834 million (Down by -2.1%)
- Collector items, art, antiques: $674.5 million (Down by -253.1%)
Switzerland has highly positive net exports in the international trade of drugs and medicines. In turn, these cashflows indicate Switzerland’s strong competitive advantages under the pharmaceuticals product category.
Products Causing Switzerland’s Biggest Deficits
Below are exports from Switzerland that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Switzerland’s goods trail Swiss importer spending on foreign products.
- Vehicles: -US$17 billion (Up by 5.9% since 2024)
- Gems, precious metals: -$13.2 billion (Reversing a $12.9 billion surplus)
- Mineral fuels including oil: -$6.1 billion (Up by 4.3%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: -$4.6 billion (Up by 5.4%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): -$3 billion (Up by 6.9%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: -$2.8 billion (Up by 11.6%)
- Wood: -$1.9 billion (Up by 10.5%)
- Fruits, nuts: -$1.88 billion (Up by 15.1%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$1.83 billion (Up by 8.3%)
- Articles of iron or steel: -$1.62 billion (Up by 20.9%)
Switzerland has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits, historically for automobile parts or accessories and cars.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Switzerland’s competitive disadvantages in the international markets under the vehicles category.
Biggest Swiss Export Companies
Based on Forbes Global 2000 rankings, here are examples of large international trade players from Switzerland. Shown within parentheses are the types of products each company provides.
- Nestlé (food processing)
- Novartis (pharmaceuticals)
- Roche Holding (pharmaceuticals)
- ABB Group (automation technology)
- Holcim (construction materials)
- Glencore International (diversified metals)
- Syngenta (pesticides, specialized chemicals)
- TE Connectivity (electronics)
- Transocean (offshore drilling equipment)
- Swatch Group (clothing, watches)
- Weatherford International (oil field equipment)
- Schindler Group (escalators, elevators)
Global trade intelligence firm Zepol also documents the following companies as examples of Swiss exporters.
- Baselux Sa Lugano Branch (heterocyclic compounds, printed documents)
- Novametal Sa Switzerland (stainless steel wire, plastic bobbins, aluminum wire)
- Olivado Tanlay (vegetable oil, honey, coconut oil)
- Polarome Switzerland (ketones, acetic acid esthers, acyclic polyhyric acids)
- Starbucks Coffee Trading (coffee, tea, paper bags)
In macroeconomic terms, Switzerland’s total exported goods represent 62.9% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2025 ($881.1 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 62.9% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2025 compares to 40.1% for 2024. Those percentages suggest a relatively increasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Switzerland’s total economic performance.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Switzerland’s unemployment rate averaged 2.77% for 2025, up from an average 2.448% for 2024 according to International Monetary Fund statistics.
Domestically, the average inflation rate for Switzerland in 2025 was 0.229% compared to an average 1.06% one year earlier.
Switzerland’s capital city is Bern.
See also Switzerland’s Top Trading Partners, Switzerland’s Top 10 Imports and Switzerland’s Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on February 19, 2026
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on February 19, 2026
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 19, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 19, 2026
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on February 19, 2026
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on February 19, 2026
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Switzerland. Accessed on February 19, 2026
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on February 19, 2026
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: US Dollar to Swiss Franc (monthly average 2025). Accessed on February 19, 2026
Zepol’s company summary highlights by country. Accessed on February 19, 2026