Trump cites tone of call in decision to raise Swiss tariffs

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Trump says he raised tariffs on Switzerland after disliking the Swiss leader’s tone in a phone call.
Democrats say the remarks undercut claims that tariffs are driven by national security.

The United States president Donald Trump said Tuesday that he decided to raise tariffs on Switzerland following a phone call with the country’s then-president, citing displeasure with her manner of speaking.

Speaking to Fox Business, Trump said the call prompted him to increase tariffs instead of lowering them, framing the decision as a personal response rather than a policy shift tied to economic or security considerations.

Phone call sparks tariff hike

Trump told the network he once received what he described as an “emergency call” from the Swiss leader, whom he characterized as “nice but very sharp in tone.” He said she repeatedly emphasized that Switzerland was “a small country,” adding that the conversation dragged on longer than he expected.

“The tariffs were at 30 percent, and I didn’t like the way she spoke to us,” Trump said. “So instead of lowering them, I raised them to 39 percent.”

He added that he later received numerous appeals from people in Switzerland and suggested the administration may revisit the issue. “We’ll do something more acceptable,” he said.

Identity of Swiss leader clarified

Trump was likely referring to Karin Keller-Sutter, who served as Switzerland’s president until December 31, when she was succeeded by current president Guy Parmelin, according to The Hill.

Trump had previously alluded to the same phone call during remarks last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, saying at the time that the Swiss president had “honestly annoyed” him.

Democratic criticism

Democratic members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee seized on Trump’s comments, arguing they amounted to an admission that his tariff policies are not rooted in national security concerns.

In a statement posted on X, the lawmakers said Trump raised tariffs because he disliked the Swiss president’s tone, calling the move reckless. They urged their Republican colleagues on the committee to join efforts to rein in what they described as erratic trade behavior.

The White House has not issued a separate statement responding to the Democratic criticism.