That dollar amount reflects a 55.8% boost compared to $324.5 billion five years prior during 2021.
Year over year, the overall cost that Switzerland paid for its imports accelerated by 36.8% from $369.7 billion spent 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 made the Swiss Confederation’s imports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively more expensive when converted starting from the Swiss franc.
Domestically, Switzerland posted an average 0.229% inflation rate in 2025 specific to Swiss consumer prices down from average 1.06% for 2024.
Switzerland’s Best Import Suppliers
The latest available country-specific data shows that 71.4% of products imported into Switzerland was furnished by exporters in: Germany (15.2% of the Swiss total), United States of America (13.4%), United Arab Emirates (9.5%), Italy (7.7%), Slovenia (6.1%), mainland China (5.1%), France (4.9%), Austria (2.3%), United Kingdom (2.1%), Canada (1.9%), Japan (1.8%) and Spain (1.5%).
From a continental perspective, nearly half (48%) of Switzerland’s total imports by value in 2025 was purchased from fellow European countries. Trade partners in Asia supplied 26.6% of imports bought by Switzerland while another 15.7% worth originated from providers in North America.
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union citing a historical tradition of neutrality and sovereignty. Nevertheless, EU member states collected 45.4% of total Swiss spending on imports for 2025.
Smaller percentages came from Africa (5.3%), Latin America (2.9%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (1.4%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Switzerland’s population of 9 million people, its total US$505.7 billion in 2025 imported goods translates to about $56,000 in yearly product demand from every person in the European country. That per-capita dollar amount eclipses the average $41,600 one year earlier in 2024.
Switzerland’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Switzerland’s import purchases during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Switzerland.
- Gems, precious metals: US$234.1 billion (46.3% of total imports)
- Pharmaceuticals: $79 billion (15.6%)
- Machinery including computers: $23.5 billion (4.7%)
- Vehicles: $20.2 billion (4%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $18.1 billion (3.6%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $11.6 billion (2.3%)
- Organic chemicals: $11 billion (2.2%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $10.4 billion (2.1%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $8 billion (1.6%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $5.4 billion (1.1%)
Switzerland’s top 10 import product categories generated more than four-fifths (83.3%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Gems and precious metals achieved the fastest-growing increase in overall cost among the top 10 import categories, up 88.7% year over year. That product category was propelled by higher revenues from exported gold, platinum and silver.
Trailing that category were imports of organic chemicals (up 36.1% from 2024). Switzerland’s imports under the pharmaceuticals category appreciated by 16.4%.
The most modest increase was the 4.3% gain from 2024 to 2025 for Swiss import spending on mineral fuels including oil.
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level.
At the more detailed 4-digit HTS code level, Switzerland spent the most on imported unwrought gold (41.2% of Swiss total imports), medication mixes in dosage (11%), blood fractions including antisera (4.5%), cars (2.7%), jewelry (2.1%), precious metal waste and scrap (1.1%), heterocyclics and nucleic acids (1%), processed petroleum oils (0.9%), computers or optical readers (0.8%), then unwrought platinum (also 0.8%).
Swiss Most Valuable Imported Gems and Precious Metals
In 2025, Swiss importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of gems and precious metals.
- Gold (unwrought): US$208.2 billion (up 97.9% from 2024)
- Jewelry: $10.8 billion (up 18.6%)
- Precious metal waste, scrap: $5.5 billion (up 100.8%)
- Platinum (unwrought): $4.1 billion (up 88.7%)
- Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $1.6 billion (down -7.4%)
- Silver (unwrought): $1.6 billion (up 49.7%)
- Precious/semi-precious stones (unstrung): $963.7 million (up 8.5%)
- Coins: $813.7 million (up 31.7%)
- Imitation jewelry: $144 million (down -0.6%)
- Natural pearl/precious stone items: $133.5 million (up 2%)
Among these import subcategories, Switzerland’s purchases of precious metal waste and scrap (up 100.8%), unwrought gold (up 97.9%) then unwrought platinum (up 88.7%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported gems and precious metals among Swiss businesses and consumers.
Swiss Most Valuable Imported Pharmaceuticals Products
In 2025, Swiss importers spent the most on the following subcategories of pharmaceuticals.
- Medication mixes in dosage: US$55.7 billion (up 17% from 2024)
- Blood fractions (including antisera): $22.6 billion (up 15.7%)
- Sutures, special pharmaceutical goods: $301.9 million (down -6.1%)
- Medication mixes not in dosage: $205.2 million (down -5.6%)
- Packaged dressings: $159.4 million (up 18.1%)
- Dried organs, heparin: $31.8 million (down -15.9%)
Among these import subcategories, Switzerland’s purchases of packaged dressings (up 18.1%), medication mixes in dosage (up 17%) then blood fractions including antisera (up 15.7%) grew from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported pharmaceuticals among Swiss businesses and consumers.
Swiss Most Valuable Imported Machinery Products Including Computers
In 2025, Swiss importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machinery including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$4.2 billion (up 9.6% from 2024)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $1.34 billion (up 1.9%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.33 billion (up 7.6%)
- Turbo-jets: $1.25 billion (up 13.6%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $1.15 billion (up 6.1%)
- Refrigerators, freezers: $908.6 million (up 7.9%)
- Printing machinery: $879.6 million (up 5%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $807.5 million (up 14.1%)
- Temperature-change machines: $754.6 million (up 4.9%)
- Lifting/loading machinery: $739 million (up 8.7%)
Among these import subcategories, Switzerland’s purchases of air or vacuum pumps (up 14.1%), turbo-jets (up 13.6%) then computers or optical readers (up 9.6%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Swiss businesses and consumers.
Swiss Most Valuable Imported Vehicles
In 2025, Swiss importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles.
- Cars: US$13.5 billion (up 5.7% from 2024)
- Trucks: $2.1 billion (up 2.4%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $1.6 billion (up 6.5%)
- Motorcycles: $695.6 million (down -1.9%)
- Tractors: $488.6 million (up 4%)
- Trailers: $430.6 million (up 3.2%)
- Public-transport vehicles: $364.5 million (up 102.8%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $275.3 million (up 11.8%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $250.3 million (up 2.8%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $234.8 million (up 2.5%)
Among these import subcategories, Switzerland’s purchases of public-transport vehicles (up 102.8%), motorcycle parts or accessories (up 11.8%) then automobile parts or accessories (up 6.5%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among Swiss businesses and consumers.
See also Switzerland’s Top Trading Partners, Switzerland’s Top 10 Exports and Switzerland’s Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on March 4, 2026
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on March 4, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 4, 2026
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: US Dollar to Swiss Franc (monthly average 2025). Accessed on March 4, 2026