Beyond the Tariff: Strategic Influence in Times of Silent Pressure

Published by Jean-Luc Meier - Analyses in Corporate Diplomacy · Friday 08 Aug 2025
Tags: US, Swiss, Trade, Relations

As new U.S. tariffs on Swiss products take effect, much of the public debate focuses on visibility and strength. But in diplomacy, it is often the quieter moves, the right access, and informed timing that shape real outcomes.

This week, a 39% tariff on selected Swiss goods, enacted by the United States under its “reciprocal trade” doctrine, came into force. The immediate economic impact is significant, hitting key export sectors from precision manufacturing to luxury goods. Less visible, but no less critical, is the strategic response such a measure requires, not only from governments but also from the ecosystems of influence around them.

Over the past days, Switzerland’s President Karin Keller-Sutter and Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin travelled to Washington. Despite meetings with Secretary of State Rubio and key trade officials, a direct conversation with President Trump remained out of reach. Reactions were swift: calls for tougher public stances, more assertive diplomacy, and louder interventions surged, many of them from commentators far removed from actual negotiations.

But diplomacy, especially in asymmetric situations, is rarely about volume.

In reality, impactful outcomes often stem from a deep understanding of how decisions are shaped — long before they are made public. The ability to identify the true centres of influence, to navigate informal networks with discretion, and to act without spectacle is what separates reactive positioning from strategic resilience.

Access to informal yet trusted channels often determines the difference between a setback and a breakthrough. And that access is not built overnight. It requires long-standing credibility, insight into the evolving architecture of power, and the capacity to act quietly — yet with precision.

When tariffs are raised, it is tempting to match pressure with noise. But as any seasoned diplomat or strategist knows: knowing who not to call is sometimes more important than knowing who to meet.

Closing Reflection

The coming weeks will test Switzerland’s resilience, not only in trade negotiations, but in how it mobilizes its understated strengths. This moment does not call for outrage. It calls for access, for substance, and for strategic calm.

Because influence, at its most effective, is rarely visible, but never accidental. It is cultivated — quietly, deliberately, and with access that is earned, not displayed.