Bern/Washington (AdvaMed)– Swiss Medtech, the leading trade association for medical technology companies in Switzerland, and AdvaMed, the U.S. Medtech Association and the world’s largest organization representing medtech innovators, are jointly calling for reciprocal “zero for zero” tariffs between the two countries.
Additionally, they advocate for Switzerland to become the first European market to facilitate the acceptance of medical devices approved or cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This call reflects the prominent role that medtech plays in both the U.S. and Swiss health care systems and economies, as well as the critical need to avoid disruptions in patient care that tariffs could cause in both countries.
In a joint statement, Swiss Medtech and AdvaMed highlight the unique, highly regulated nature of the medtech industry and its fixed reimbursement environment. These immutable characteristics restrict the ability of medtech companies to shift manufacturing sites or for hospital customers to absorb higher prices resulting from tariffs.
“Recent trade tensions and the threat of tariffs are posing a serious threat to our respective health technology industries and to the health systems, health care professionals, and patients who depend on us to ensure timely access to treatment,” the joint statement reads.
The joint statement also calls on the U.S. and Switzerland to continue developing a regulatory framework in which private bodies will review the relevant conditions under a simplified conformity assessment procedure, taking into account elements already performed by the FDA. Such a system would broaden access to innovation for Swiss patients and help ensure that Switzerland remains a strong global partner to the U.S. in advancing medical technology research and innovation.
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