Swiss government looks to FIFA chief to sway Donald Trump on tariffs
3 Min Read
Facing 39% US tariffs, the Swiss Government is exploring unconventional diplomacy after failing to secure a meeting with Donald Trump.
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Gianni Infantino, pictured on a visit to the Oval Office in 2018, also attended Donald Trump’s inauguration in January. (Evan Vucci/AP)
The Swiss Government is under pressure after failing to prevent the imposition of steep Trump tariffs, making Switzerland the European country hit hardest by recent US tariffs.
With a 39% rate now in effect, Swiss political figures are proposing unconventional methods to reopen dialogue with Washington, including enlisting Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA and a Swiss national.
Efforts by Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin to ease trade tensions proved unsuccessful, as they returned from Washington without securing a meeting with Donald Trump. Instead, they met US Senator Marco Rubio and later announced no change to the high tariffs.
“At today’s meeting with Foreign Minister [Marco Rubio] we discussed bilateral co-operation between Switzerland and the US, the customs situation, and international issues,” Keller-Sutter posted on X.
Bei dem heutigen Treffen mit Aussenminister @SecRubio haben wir die bilaterale Zusammenarbeit zwischen der 🇨🇠und den 🇺🇸, die Zoll-Situation sowie internationale Themen diskutiert. @ParmelinG pic.twitter.com/tu8BT2dAI4
— Karin Keller-Sutter (@keller_sutter) August 6, 2025
Amid growing frustration, some officials believe Gianni Infantino could act as an informal mediator due to his longstanding personal rapport with Donald Trump. Infantino, originally from Brig, Switzerland, has publicly interacted with Trump on several occasions, including attending the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey and visiting Trump Tower in July to open a FIFA office.
National Councillor Roland Rino Büchel, a member of the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), suggested that Parmelin should directly request Infantino’s help.
“It is definitely time to bring in Gianni Infantino now, without further delay, to help open doors. If Parmelin picked up the phone and asked Infantino for help, I would well imagine he would do it,” Büchel told The Financial Times.
He added that the stakes are high, with thousands of jobs and vital US-Swiss relations at risk.
Former Swiss diplomat Thomas Borer also voiced support, calling the idea “not a bad one” for securing access to Trump during this critical period.
US tariffs hit Switzerland despite trade talks
The current tariff row follows multiple rounds of negotiations between Bern and senior Trump administration officials, including Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Swiss officials believed a tentative agreement with a 10% rate had been reached. However, Trump abruptly imposed the full 39% rate after citing the US’s $39 billion trade deficit with Switzerland during a recent call with President Keller-Sutter.
Trump told CNBC, “The woman was nice, but [the Swiss president] didn’t want to listen” to his concerns over trade imbalance, a statement that has fueled public anger in Switzerland and renewed scrutiny of the government’s diplomatic efforts.
Local media outlets have harshly criticized the Swiss leadership’s inability to secure a better outcome, leading to calls for innovative solutions to restore US-Swiss relations and protect Swiss economic interests.
Both the Swiss Government and FIFA have declined to comment on the growing pressure to involve Infantino in the negotiations.
