the export stop from Expanding for medical protection material to a trade embargo against Switzerland? This question arises in Bern, after the German customs has prevented in at least one case, Swiss imports from a third country. It was already known that the German government has banned deliveries from a German company in Switzerland. Now, the German customs blocked in Hamburg and a ship container that had been ordered by a Swiss importer, in China. This means that the delivery would only need to take transit for the purposes of cross. The learned of this paper from several independent sources.

According to one of the sources of surgical gloves from Asian production facilities are located in the Container. Apparently, the Container is in Hamburg in a duty-free warehouse, which means that the contents of the container was not legally been seen implemented in the Federal Republic of Germany and in spite of the German authorities was confiscated.

The new Hamburg case is therefore much more serious than the previously known Blockade of a truck on the German-Swiss border. Such as the "NZZ am Sonntag" has made public, preventing the German customs since last week, a truck with around 240'000 hygiene masks and other materials to the departure to Switzerland.

Parmelin got off the phone with Altmaier

The truck was confirmed by the Department of Economic Affairs Federal councillor Guy Parmelin. The new event in Hamburg, the Department does not comment. It explained, however, that it got several blocked deliveries knowledge and under high pressure on a solution work. It was already known that the state had summoned Secretariat for economic Affairs (Seco) on Friday due to supply blockages the German Ambassador.

in the Meantime, has intervened and now economy Minister, Guy Parmelin (SVP) in person in Berlin. On Monday, he got on the phone with his German counterpart, Federal Minister Peter Altmaier, "and the Situation around the blocked deliveries discussed," explains Parmelins, head of communication at Urs Wiedmer.

Since then, the talks with Germany were "solution-oriented manner at the highest level". Apparently with success: On Tuesday evening, a source at the German customs, said that the Container had now been re-released. According to this source, it was the Blockade of a Mistake. An official confirmation of this but there were not first. Also, the German Embassy in Bern on Tuesday afternoon in a statement no such information.

"vital need" to make sure

The export stop is based on an arrangement, the on 4. March was issued by the German Ministry of economic Affairs. The four-page decree under any export of protection says glasses, masks, protection suits and other protective material in other EU countries or third countries. It is the "vital needs" and in Germany itself sure, is it in the arrangement. The export stop hitting Switzerland particularly hard, because it imported almost everything of the medical protection material.

exceptions to the export ban, according to the text of the German decree only "in the exceptional case" possible. The export stop relates also specifically to the supplies already in front of the 4. March "planned and agreed" (and possibly even paid!) were.

In the case of the blocked truck, the delivery was long before the 4. Ordered in March. Last Thursday, the Swiss company wanted to retrieve the delivery at their German suppliers, but then the truck from the German customs was prevented from leaving the country. The Chauffeur had to endure several days at the border; now he has returned, apparently, to its starting point.

The German Embassy in Bern, declared on request, the arrangement of 4. March should be adjusted to "this week, an individual and exports to approve". In this process, several ministries in Berlin are involved, according to the Embassy. In addition, the message refers to a spokesman for the foreign office in Berlin. This was declared on Monday at a press conference, to stand "in close contact with our European partners, and also with Switzerland. It is clear, of course: We want to be here in Europe in solidarity."

France stops deliveries

But because of the Corona-crisis, the export of certain goods stopped. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has on 3. March all inventories and production facilities of the breath seized in protective masks. As it is now known, are affected to a Swiss hospitals also by the French Embargo directly.

"The de facto expropriation."FDP-Nationalrat Hans-Peter Portmann

customers who had ordered from the globally operating Swedish company Mölnlycke face masks, which has to be supplied. A delivery, "was through our warehouse in Lyon on the way to Switzerland", is affected by Macrons export ban, told the Swiss branch of Mölnycke already last week its customers. You were trying "to establish as quickly as possible alternative logistics chains and masks for Switzerland redirect", the E-Mail that is available to this newspaper.

action at the WTO?

in the Meantime, have startled the export embargo by France and Germany, Federal parliamentarians. The Zurich FDP national Councilor Hans-Peter Portmann filed in the foreign policy Committee a number of questions. Among other things, he requested from the Federal Council to examine against Germany in a complaint with the world trade organization (WTO) or the Joint Committee between Switzerland and the EU call. The processes round the blocked deliveries summarizes port man: "This is de facto expropriation."

Created: 10.03.2020, 18:37 PM