Roman Heck, Regulatory and Public Affairs Manager
Multiple geopolitical and geoeconomic crises in recent years have considerably impacted our societies. Supply chains were suddenly disrupted and access to essential commodities became jeopardized. But amidst all this chaos a positive aspect emerged: the growing awareness that supply chains remain, also in modern times, very fragile.
This new consciousness ultimately uncovers the importance of commodity merchants and their sophisticated craft. Indeed, they are always the ones providing solutions for securing the supply and bridging the gap between demand and offer. Switzerland has hosted international trading companies for centuries. But it somehow appears as if the Swiss are only now discovering the unique character of the Swiss commodity trading industry. Our economic sector reveals itself rightfully as being at the heart of global economic activities and linked to the forefront of global challenges and developments, be it supply security, sustainable and ecological value chains, decarbonization and energy transition as well as economic cooperation and development around the world.
This is also the reason SUISSENÉGOCE is pursuing the establishment and consolidation of a public-private partnership (PPP) with relevant Swiss interlocutors. Three central pillars constitute the building blocks of this “Swiss PPP”:
- Strategy: current global supply chains require a profound assessment of risks and dependencies. Vital commodities and resources are unevenly distributed across the globe. Switzerland and its commodity merchants must therefore jointly define regulatory and technical strategies that secure the global trading operations from Switzerland. Only a coordinated economic and political strategy between public and private actors can guarantee that the necessary regulatory conditions as well as infrastructures and technologies are and remain in place in Switzerland.
- Transparency: fundamental scientific knowledge and evidence-based exposures are essential when engaging in public debate around commodities supply. Basic economic trade-offs and global value chains should be described more simply, transparently, and actively by the industry to official and public stakeholders. Meanwhile, Swiss authorities should similarly deploy qualitative communication with the objective of bringing back a well-founded economy to the center of society.
- Commitment: the Swiss commodity trading industry should commit even more intensely to its Swiss identity. While trading operations are globally oriented, they are rooted and deployed out of Switzerland. Undoubtedly, the trading industry benefits in Switzerland from one of the most competitive political, economic, and regulatory frameworks in the world. Switzerland, on the other hand, should commit to the Swiss commodity hub as a true economic and political asset. It is only a mindset of mutual recognition that will ensure that Switzerland and its commodity merchants unite for a strong partnership, and this is for the long haul.