PARIS – After the high comes the (relative) low.
Exports of Swiss-made watches slumped by 16.6 percent to 2.1 billion Swiss francs in April, according to figures published Tuesday by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.
The slump reflected that U.S.-bound shipments fell 56.4 percent compared to last April, which had seen exports skyrocket as watchmakers sought to anticipate the effects of the tariffs announced by American president Donald Trump.
Despite this unfavorable comparison, the industry body pointed out that exports of Swiss watches to the American market had grown 8.9 percent against April 2024.
The number of units also shrank 10 percent in the month, with 129,000 less timepieces being exported. Since the beginning of the year, exports have shrunk a cumulated 3.9 percent against 2024’s figures.
