The share of MEM-Exports sank within 25 Years from CHF 50.5 to 72.3 billion.But they lost their significance.
The share on total Swiss exports since 1998 almost halved. Decisive was the largest branch: Machinery and Electronics.
Share of MEM branches and of Swiss Total Exports (economic total)
1 The Machinery and Electro- Metalls Products (MEM productsDie Maschinen-, Elektro- und Metall-Produkte (MEM-Produkte) entail the trade groups «Machinery, schinen, Apparatus,Electronics», «Metalls», «Precision Tools » and «Vehicles ».
MEM products have been responsible for a major part of Swiss Exports. 1998 their share was at 46.4 %, 25 years later their share is 26.0 %. In the same time frame the chemicals and pharmazeuticle products increased their share from 28.7 % to 48.5 %
Meanwhile the share of MEM Products is slowing down. Between 2000 and 2009 the decrease was at 3.1 % yoy, during 2009 and 2022 the share was yoy 2.3 %
Machinery and Electronics: since 2020 more imports than Exports.
Responsible for the marked decreases of the sitgnificance of MEM Products is the largest branch, machinery and edlectronics. 2022 the exports settle at a value of CJHF 33.1 billion, 3.7 % more than 25 years ago.
Whereas the total exports in the same time frame on average yoy increase by 4.0 %, the exports in this timeframe aeraged by 4.0 % yoy, but the exports of machinery and electronics were less dynamic and increased only by 0.2 %. Of the other MEM branches only Precision Tools developed aboe average (+ 4.6 % yoy). Vehicle exports increased by 2.7 % and metall exports by 2.1 %.
Exports of MEM Products 1988 and 2022
Traditionally Switzerland has been a net exporter of Machinery and Electronics, but 2020 for the first time the value of imports was higher than the exports. In 2022 the Machinery and Electronics branch had a trade balance deficit of CHF 3.2 billion.
Goods trade in the foreign trade statistic
The Foreign Trade Statistic published by BAZG is giving a true picture of the cross border trade. However there is no content of international standards, namely the trade of services.
For the MEM Industry this means services, repair, engineering or licencies. The Swiss National Bank reports on these items in the framework of its courrent account.
Translation by Virginia F. Bodmer-Altura, Publisher of TextileFuture.
Further information on foreign trade can be found here: www.swiss-impex.admin.ch.