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Switzerland, China Wrap Up Talks on Updated Trade Deal

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Switzerland and China have wrapped up talks on an optimized free trade agreement that would allow 99.8% of Swiss exports to enter the Asian country duty-free, according to a Thursday release from the Federal Council.

The updated deal aims to correct an imbalance in the existing free trade agreement, under which almost all Chinese imports enter Switzerland duty-free while the benefit applies to only half of Swiss exports to the world's second-largest economy.

The optimized FTA would also cover services and digital trade and include provisions on environmental issues and labor rights. The two countries aim to sign the updated FTA by the end of 2026.

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