The trader’s ethics

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The trader’s craft raises ethical questions that the following parts will examine in detail and that should be announced here. The trader deals with countries where corruption is widespread, with leaders and companies whose integrity is uncertain, and with commodities whose extraction may have serious social and environmental effects. He contributes to supplying the world with energy and food, which is an essential function. He may also, if he is not careful, contribute to the plundering of the resources of poor countries, to the corruption of their elites or to the financing of conflicts.

The Geneva tradition of moral economy, described in Part B, offers a point of reference. Calvin accepted commerce and credit, provided that they served the common good and did not exploit the weakness of others. The contemporary trader, subject to ever more demanding compliance rules, must build this requirement into his daily decisions: declining a lucrative but doubtful transaction, verifying the origin of a commodity, making sure that the price paid to a producer country is fair. Part H will show how the law has progressively codified these requirements, and Part I how they arise in relations with Africa.

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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