The traders and the centre: a permanent dialogue

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The relationship between the traders and the Geneva centre rests on a permanent dialogue, whose terms have changed over time. The traders ask for stable framework conditions, competitive taxation, access to financing, skilled staff and an efficient administration. The centre and the authorities ask the traders for a tax contribution, jobs, conduct that meets the demands of reputation and greater transparency.

This dialogue has become institutionalised, through the umbrella association, through regular contacts with the cantonal and federal authorities, through the traders’ participation in university programmes and through their involvement in transparency initiatives. It remains tense at times, particularly when criminal cases or investigations by non-governmental organisations implicate Geneva houses.

The experience of past decades suggests that this dialogue is the best guarantee of the long-term survival of commodity trading in Geneva. Centres that attract business through taxation alone or through the absence of rules, as Dubai does for Russian oil, expose themselves to reputational risks that serious players cannot ignore. Geneva, which has built its position on trust, has every interest in remaining a centre where trading is demanding, and in turning that demand into an argument in its favour.

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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