Switzerland adopts most sanctions of the European Union under the Embargo Act and enforces its own export controls on war material and dual-use goods. The articles collected here explain how Switzerland decides on sanctions, how asset freezes, prohibitions on making funds available and trade restrictions work in practice, and how the Goods Control Act and the War Material Act apply to exports and to trade in which the goods never reach Switzerland. They also cover US sanctions and export controls that affect Swiss companies, in particular companies with Chinese, Central Asian or Middle Eastern shareholders.
Switzerland is neutral, but it adopts most sanctions of the European Union and enforces its own export controls on war material and dual-use goods. For companies that trade through Switzerland, US sanctions and export controls add a further layer, especially where shareholders or counterparties are in China, Russia, Central Asia or the Gulf.
Swiss sanctions are based on the Embargo Act and implemented through ordinances of the Federal Council, while the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) administers them in practice. Breaches can be prosecuted as criminal offences, and banks tend to stop payments at the first sign of a sanctions risk. Screening customers, goods and routes before a contract is signed therefore protects both the transaction and the banking relationship.
A company trading through Switzerland should know who ultimately owns and controls each counterparty, where the goods will end up and whether they appear on a control list. Dual-use items, such as certain machine tools, electronics and chemicals, may require an export licence even when they are sold to civilian buyers. Documenting these checks creates a record that can be shown to banks, auditors and authorities.
Foreign rules can reach a Swiss company as well. US sanctions and export controls may apply where US dollars, US persons or US-origin goods and technology are involved, and many Swiss banks follow them as a matter of internal policy. Groups with owners in several jurisdictions benefit from a clear compliance policy that reconciles Swiss, European and US requirements before conflicts arise in daily business.
The articles explain how Switzerland adopted the sanctions against Russia, what companies from Central Asia and the Gulf must check, how the BIS Affiliates Rule affects groups with Chinese shareholders, and what a Swiss company can and cannot do in defence and security business.
Dual-use goods: when a Swiss export needs a licence
Machine tools, electronics, chemicals and software can be dual-use goods. How Swiss export controls work, when a licence is required and how to check your products. Read more Sanctions · PracticeSanctions compliance for Swiss companies: screening, ownership and bank expectations
How a Swiss company screens counterparties, owners and goods against sanctions, why ownership and control matter, and what banks expect to see before they process a payment. Read more Africa · Export ControlDefence and security goods for Africa: what a Swiss company can and cannot do
African military spending is growing, and new suppliers from China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are gaining market share. Read more Africa · SanctionsChinese shareholders, US sanctions and the BIS Affiliates Rule
A Swiss company with Chinese shareholders that does business in Africa has to consider three sets of rules: Swiss sanctions,… Read more Sanctions · Central Asia and the GulfSwiss sanctions against Russia: what companies from Central Asia and the Gulf must check
If your company trades from Almaty, Tashkent, Baku, Dubai or Riyadh and works with Swiss banks, trading houses or suppliers,… Read more Sanctions · FundamentalsSanctions against Russia: how Switzerland adopted them
On 28 February 2022 the Federal Council decided to adopt the European Union's sanctions against Russia in full. The decision… Read more