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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsAs of October 8, 2026, US imports from Switzerland face a variable additional tariff of up to 12.5% under Section 301, with the existing most-favoured-nation duty credited toward that amount. The rate on a particular watch depends on its US customs classification and any applicable exemption or sectoral rule; the headline rate is not a uniform surcharge on every Swiss watch.
What are the current US tariffs on Swiss watches?
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) says the current general measure took effect on July 24, 2026. Under Section 301, the additional tariff for Swiss imports can be as high as 12.5%, but the existing most-favoured-nation (MFN) duty counts toward that total. Exemptions apply to numerous categories, and Section 232 duties remain in place for goods covered by those separate sectoral measures.
SECO’s example shows how the offset works: if a product has a 5% MFN duty, the additional Section 301 tariff is 7.5%, bringing the combined duty to 12.5%. If the MFN duty is already at least 12.5%, only the MFN duty applies under this framework. The actual treatment of a watch shipment depends on its classification and circumstances, so neither the maximum rate nor a generic watch rate should be treated as the duty on every item.
How the current and recent measures differ
| Measure | Status as of October 8, 2026 | How it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Section 301 | In effect from July 24, 2026 | Variable additional tariff of up to 12.5% for Swiss imports, offset by MFN duty; exemptions and product rules apply, according to SECO. |
| Section 122 | Expired July 24, 2026 | The 10% additional duty SECO describes applied on top of MFN duty. It is not the current general measure. |
| Section 232 | Still in effect for covered goods | Separate sectoral measures continue where applicable. SECO says Section 301 and Section 232 additional tariffs are not cumulative. |
The change was abrupt: on July 23, 2026, the United States announced replacement tariffs arising from a Section 301 investigation into trade in goods produced using forced labour; the measure took effect the next day, when the Section 122 legal basis expired. SECO’s account said the findings of a separate USTR overcapacity investigation had not yet been published and Swiss–US negotiations were continuing.
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Why “the tariff on a Swiss watch” is not one fixed number
Customs duty is determined at the product and shipment level, not simply by the watch’s country label or retail price. The relevant US classification, origin details, exemptions, and any applicable sectoral rule can affect the result. The available information does not establish the classification or exemption for a particular model, so it cannot support a precise duty calculation for an individual watch.
SECO states that “the provision of binding legal information on US import regulations and tariffs is the responsibility of the relevant US authorities.” Importers seeking a shipment-specific answer should use official US Customs and Border Protection guidance or consult a qualified customs professional.
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Are Swiss watch exports to the US falling?
Yes, on the latest year-over-year measures available by October 8, 2026—but the comparison period matters. The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) reported that Swiss watch exports to the United States fell 14.8% in the first half of 2026 compared with the first half of 2025. Against the first half of 2024, however, they were up 2.6%. FH says the 2025 comparison base was unusually high, particularly after a 150% rise in April 2025 following tariff announcements.
August, the latest published monthly result at the time, showed a similar split between the US and the wider market:
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| Period and measure | Swiss watch exports | Year-over-year change |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026, all markets | CHF 1,789.2 million | Up 9.1% |
| August 2026, United States | CHF 197.5 million | Down 19.4% |
| January–August 2026, United States | CHF 3,078.1 million | Down 8.3% |
| January–August 2026, all markets | CHF 17,240.7 million | Up 1.7% |
For broader context, FH put first-half 2026 Swiss watch exports at CHF 12.8 billion, down 0.7% year over year. For full-year 2025, it reported CHF 25.6 billion in exports, down 1.7%; the US accounted for 17% of Swiss watch exports that year, while shipments there were down 0.5% year over year.
What the export figures can—and cannot—show
FH’s figures come from Swiss customs foreign-trade data and are expressed at export prices. They consolidate the Swiss watchmaking industry, may be revised, and do not reveal how an individual brand or group performed. They are not US retail-sales figures: they do not include the full effects of importer and retailer margins, exchange rates, taxes, or individual pricing decisions.
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The declines also do not, by themselves, prove that tariffs caused a particular change. FH describes conditions in which currency movements, regional instability, gold prices, tariff uncertainty, and cautious retailer restocking all matter. The high 2025 comparison base adds another reason not to read the year-over-year percentage as a clean measure of the current tariff’s effect. FH scheduled publication of September 2026 statistics for October 20, after the date of this article; those figures are not included here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Will Swiss watches cost more in the United States?
A tariff can raise the cost of importing an affected product, but the available evidence does not establish a uniform increase in US retail prices for Swiss watches. The eventual consumer price depends on the shipment’s actual customs treatment and on how importers, brands, distributors, and retailers respond. FH export values cannot be converted directly into a US shelf-price change.
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The possible exposure is concentrated in a high-value industry, but the available market figures measure different things. A Morgan Stanley/LuxeConsult report, as reported by the Associated Press in 2026, put watches priced above CHF 50,000 at 37% of the total value of Swiss watch exports in 2025, compared with 33.5% in 2024. The same report said Rolex, Cartier, Patek Philippe, and Omega together represented more than half of Swiss retail market share. That retail-market figure is not a share of exports, and neither statistic identifies the tariff or price response of a particular brand.
Why the “new tariffs” label can be misleading
The tariff story has changed several times since 2025. FH says tariff announcements and changes disrupted trade, and the unusually strong April 2025 result helped make the first-half 2026 year-over-year comparison difficult. The 10% Section 122 duty that applied in February 2026 was temporary and expired on July 24. The current general additional tariff is the Section 301 measure that began that day—not the expired Section 122 duty and not a single rate applying to every watch.
A Supreme Court ruling discussed by SECO concerned IEEPA “reciprocal” tariffs. SECO says that ruling did not remove MFN or Section 232 duties, and that the Section 301 tariffs had not been reviewed by a court at the time of its account. It would therefore be inaccurate to summarize the ruling as having struck down all US tariffs on Swiss goods.
Industry conditions remain uncertain beyond customs policy. In an Associated Press report on luxury watches, analyst Ming Liu said: “When you look back at a year ago, the sort of theme was: The tariffs and the uncertainty,” and added that the industry was “probably even less” certain given events in the Middle East. That assessment reflects broader uncertainty, not a measured estimate of tariff effects on Swiss watch prices or exports.
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