Handelspolitische Schutzmassnahmen der EU und der Schweiz: Grundlagen, Praxis, Abhängigkeiten (Matthias Oesch)

Most WTO members regularly take recourse to anti-dumping measures, countervailing duties and safeguard measures. Switzerland, however, has no track record in this respect. This contribution analyses the legal provisions to adopt trade defence instruments in the EU and Switzerland and their attitudes towards these instruments. It discusses the reasons for the abstinence of trade defence instruments in Switzerland. It highlights the relevance of the EU’s common commercial policy also for Switzerland. In some instances, Switzerland benefits from the use of trade defence instruments applied by the EU; it enjoys a free-riding. At the same time, safeguard measures of the EU can have a markedly negative effect on Swiss firms. Against this background, Switzerland might want to reconsider its foreign trade policy options. Moreover, the Swiss government might be well advised to prepare the grounds for dealing with potential applications to enact trade defence instruments in due course