Swiss Commodity Trading Generates 19.2 Billion Francs in Added Value

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Publication Date: Press ReleasePublished on November 18, 2025

1. Overview

  • Author: Federal Statistical Office (FSO)
  • Source: https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/Pv9kCk1ioIAR6duJhxciN
  • Date: November 18, 2025
  • Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

2. Article Summary

What is it about? Switzerland continues to position itself as a significant center for global commodity trading, whose economic importance is now being systematically recorded for the first time.

Important Facts:

  • Added value from commodity trading 2024: 19.2 billion francs
  • Share of total Swiss GDP: 2.3%
  • Leading cantons: Geneva and Zug as regional centers
  • First official FSO statistics on monetary contribution
  • Estimated figures based on new data collection
  • Focus on direct added value of trading companies
  • Comparable size to other established economic sectors

Affected Groups: Commodity trading companies, cantons of Geneva and Zug, Swiss economy, international commodity markets, taxpayers and political decision-makers.

Opportunities & Risks:

  • Opportunities: Confirmation of Switzerland as a commodity trading hub, tax revenues, jobs
  • Risks: Dependence on volatile commodity markets, reputational risks, regulatory challenges

Recommendations: Readers should appreciate the transparency of this first publication, but also critically question which companies and practices are behind these figures.

3. Looking to the Future

Short-term (1 year): Further detailed analyses and breakdown of statistics by companies and commodity types are to be expected.

Medium-term (5 years): Possible regulatory adjustments due to the now available transparency about sector size.

Long-term (10-20 years): Transformation of the sector through energy transition and changed global commodity flows could significantly influence these figures.

4. Fact-Checking

  • The figure of 19.2 billion francs is referred to as "estimated added value" [⚠️ Still to be verified - estimation methodology]
  • 2.3% of GDP appears plausible with a Swiss GDP of approximately 800 billion francs
  • The dominance of Geneva and Zug corresponds to known industry structures
  • First FSO statistics indicate new data collection methods [⚠️ Still to be verified - completeness of recorded companies]

5. Additional Sources

Additional research on comparable studies and industry reports from international commodity trading centers would be helpful for classification.

6. Source List

  • Original source: FSO Press Release, https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/Pv9kCk1ioIAR6duJhxciN
  • Additional sources:
    1. [Additional sources required in research]
  • Facts checked: on November 18, 2025

Brief Summary

The FSO publishes systematic data on the economic importance of Swiss commodity trading for the first time, quantifying its added value at 19.2 billion francs. This new transparency is welcome, but raises questions about methodology and the societal impact of this significant economic sector. The concentration on Geneva and Zug underscores Switzerland's regional specialization in this global sector.

Three Key Questions

  1. Transparency: Which specific companies and commodity types are behind these 19.2 billion francs, and how are problematic business practices monitored?

  2. Responsibility: How does Switzerland ensure that this economically significant sector also assumes social and ecological responsibility?

  3. Innovation: What role does Swiss commodity trading play in the transformation to sustainable energy systems and how can it contribute to innovation promotion?

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