Swiss Made: The Swissness Test
Whether it's chocolates, watches, cheese or even army knives, Swiss made sells! What makes products meet the Swissness standard?
Switzerland is renowned for its high-quality products, from chocolate and cheese to watches and cosmetics. However, the value of the "Swiss Made" label has been misused, damaging its credibility. To protect the value-added of the label and logo, the Swiss Parliament adopted the "Swissness" legislation in 2013.
Under the new regulation, products or services can only be considered Swiss if they meet certain criteria for determining origin.
For natural products, the place of harvest is the defining factor.
For foodstuffs, at least 80% of the raw materials must come from Switzerland.
For industrial products, at least 60% of the cost price must be realized in Switzerland.
Services must be run from a company's registered office in Switzerland.
The legislation also includes special regulations for watches and cosmetics, where additional requirements, such as observing manufacturing or processing principles, must be met for the use of Swiss provenance indications. The Swiss cross can now be affixed to Swiss products and services that meet the criteria for Swiss origin, but private companies are no longer allowed to use federal coats of arms unless they obtain special authorization.
Toblerone, the chocolate brand famous for its triangle-shaped bars, can no longer use the image of the Matterhorn mountain on its packaging due to "Swissness" legislation.
This means Toblerone will need to update its branding, removing the "Swiss Made" label and introducing a new, modernized mountain logo.
The change follows the move of the Toblerone factory from Switzerland to Slovakia.
The "Swissness" legislation reinforces the credibility of the "Swiss Made" label, protecting it from misuse and ensuring that consumers can trust the quality of Swiss products. By clarifying the criteria for use and enforcing their protection, Switzerland can continue to uphold its reputation for excellence in the global market.
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