Figure of the month

Each month, foreign trade statistics highlight a product, a trade flow, or a country through a key figure.

21
Say it with flowers! Switzerland imported 193 million Swiss francs worth of flowers in 2025. That equates to around 21 francs per capita. Most of the flowers came from the Netherlands (73%), followed by Kenya (14%) and Ecuador (6%). (01.02.2026)

9,164
Switzerland imported 9,164 kg of caviar between January and November 2025. That is almost twice as much as 10 years prior. In 2025, the average price at the border was 517 Swiss francs per kg. (01.01.2026)

15,000
In 2024, Switzerland imported 15,000 tonnes of candles. Over three-quarters came from Poland, China and Germany. While overall candle shipments remained constant over the past five years, those from China doubled to 4,000 tonnes. (01.12.2025)

552,000
In the age of downloads and streaming, around 552,000 vinyl records were imported in 2024, at a unit price of CHF 14.30. This is two thirds more than in 2020, when the price was CHF 8.50. (01.11.2025)

31 000
Between 2003 and 2011, Switzerland imported 290,000 compasses on average each year. In subsequent years, sales slumped, in parallel with the rapid spread of smartphones: in 2024, the figure was only 31,000. (01.10.2025)

370 000
Autumn is upon us, but parasols still feature prominently on patios and terraces. Switzerland imported around 370,000 units in 2024, representing a reduction of more than a quarter compared with 2021. China was the main supplier, followed far behind by Germany and Croatia. (01.09.2025)

+51 %
Since the 2009 free trade agreement, Switzerland and Japan have seen their total bilateral goods trade increase by 51%. In the first half of 2025, this amounted to CHF 8.0 billion, making Japan our tenth-largest trading partner. (01.08.2025)

3x
Non-alcoholic drinks are in fashion: In 2024, Switzerland imported 9.3 million litres of alcohol-free beer – around three times as much as in 2017. Over half of that
came from Germany and Austria. (01.07.2025)

4 645
Raspberry planting time – summer's coming. In 2024, Switzerland imported 4,645 tonnes of raspberries. Spain has been the main supplier for over a decade; in 2024, 72% of imports came from the Iberian Peninsula. (01.06.2025)

265
In 2024, Switzerland exported 265 mechanical pocket watches made of precious metals, worth CHF 14.6 million. The main purchasing countries were Hong Kong, the US and Singapore. The average price per watch was around CHF 55,000. (01.05.2025)

271
Between 2015 and 2024, 271 aircraft (unladen weight over 15,000kg) were imported into Switzerland for a total of CHF 13.2 billion. That is an average of 27 aircraft per year, with an average value of CHF 48.5 million per aircraft. (01.04.2025)

161
Spades at the ready! In 2024, Switzerland imported 161 tonnes of flower seeds, mainly from Germany.   A record of 242 tonnes was set in 2020, when many peoplediscovered gardening during the pandemic. (01.03.2025)