President Guy Parmelin leads economic and scientific mission to North America
Berne, 25.06.2026 — From 29 June to 9 July, President Guy Parmelin will visit the US and Canada on an economic and scientific mission. He will then continue to Mexico, where he will meet President Claudia Sheinbaum. The purpose of the trip is to strengthen and extend Switzerland’s economic and scientific ties with North America. On 2 July, Mr Parmelin will attend the Swiss national team’s round of 32 match in the football World Cup in Vancouver.
Economic relations between Switzerland and the US are currently facing challenges, particularly with regard to the tariff policy introduced by the US in 2025. This is the backdrop to the planned talks with the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Mr Parmelin will also use the visit to highlight the mutual benefits of the close economic ties between Switzerland and the US.
Whilst in the US, Mr Parmelin will also visit Swiss companies involved in vocational education and training or that operate in innovative, research-intensive sectors. In addition, talks are planned with players from the fields of artificial intelligence, space and mobility.
Mr Parmelin’s trip to Canada will include a visit to Vancouver, where the schedule involves bilateral meetings and visits to research institutions that work closely with Swiss partners. Mr Parmelin will hold talks on possible ways of strengthening scientific cooperation between Switzerland and Canada. In Vancouver he will also attend the Swiss national team’s round of 32 match in the World Cup.
The final part of the mission takes Mr Parmelin to Mexico. The country is closely integrated into the North American economic area and its supply and value chains are closely intertwined with those of the US. Political talks are planned with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum and various ministers. One medium-term objective is to modernise the free trade agreement between EFTA and Mexico, which has been in force for around 25 years. Mr Parmelin will use the trip to gauge the extent to which progress can be made in updating this agreement. The itinerary also includes visits to companies and meetings with representatives of some of the numerous Swiss companies operating in Mexico.