WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/STR/N/14/CHE 
21 June 2012 
 (12-3312) 
Working Party on  
State Trading Enterprises Original:   English 
 
 
 
STATE TRADING 
 
New and Full Notification Pursuant to Article XVII:4(a) of the  
GATT 1994 and Paragraph 1 of  the Understanding on  
the Interpretation of Article XVII 
 
SWITZERLAND 
  
 The following communication, dated 1 June 2012, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Switzerland.    
_______________ 
 
 
I. ENUMERATION OF STATE TRADING ENTERPRISES  
 Swiss Alcohol Board;  Federal Department of Finance.    
II. REASON AND PURPOSE 
 
 The Alcohol Legislation, which is concerned w ith the manufacture, rectification and import of 
spirits and ethanol, was established in Sw itzerland for public health reasons.   
  It is based on Article 105 of the Federal Cons titution, which gives the Federation the sole right 
to legislate in this field.  Pursuant to that cons titutional basis, the Federal Assembly promulgated the 
Federal Law on Alcohol of 21 June 1932.  This le gislation aims at reduc ing the production and 
consumption of spirits.    
III. DESCRIPTION OF THE FUNCTIONING OF THE STATE TRADING ENTERPRISE 
  The private sector is allowed to  import ethanol and spirits contai ning not more than 80 per cent 
by volume without restriction and without any permit.  The taxes, fixed by the Federal Council, have to 
be paid on imported goods as well as on the domestic production.     For control reasons, the Swiss Confederation, through " alcosuisse ", a profit centre of the 
Alcohol Board, is entitled to import ethanol whose alcohol content exceeds 80 per cent by volume.  
However, imports by the private sector are possible su bject to prior authorization by the Alcohol Board.   
  Inside the country, ethanol and spirits are not produced by the Al cohol Board itself, but by the 
private sector which, for control reasons, has be en granted a concession (industrial and professional 
producers, farmers, small producers).   
 G/STR/N/14/CHE 
Page 2  
 
   Industrial distilleries and spirit s producers are allowed to market  their products directly subject 
to payment of the taxes.  This trade is subject to authorization.     Ethanol is bought and sold by " alcosuisse " at the market price of the various qualities imported 
or produced in Switzerland.  Th e prices for ethanol sold by " alcosuisse " are fixed by the Federal 
Council.  Ethanol intended for consump tion purposes is subj ect to a tax.   
 
IV. STATISTICAL INFORMATION ( SEE ATTACHED TABLES I – III)  
 
 See Annex.   
 
V. REASON WHY NO FOREIGN TRADE HAS TAKEN PLACE ( AS APPROPRIATE)  
 
 As the Alcohol Legislat ion is established for public health reasons, the commercial activities of 
the Alcohol Board are concentrated on the domestic  market.  Therefore the quantity exported by the 
Alcohol Board is not important (see Table II, exports).   
 
VI. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ( AS APPROPRIATE) 
 
 Since 2009 Switzerland has no national produc tion of ethanol with alcohol content that 
exceeds 80 per cent by volume. 
 
   
   G/STR/N/14/CHE
 Page 3 
TABLE I 
 
SWISS ALCOHOL BOARD 
 
STATISTICAL INFORMATION, IMPORTS, Year 2010 
  
Description of 
product(s) 
(including HS 
number(s)) Total quantity 
imported1 Quantity imported 
by 
state trading 
enterprise1 Average import 
price Average 
representative 
domestic sales price Mark-up2 National production 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
Undenatured ethyl 
alcohol of an 
alcoholic strength by volume of 80% 
volume or higher 
2207.1000 454'968 hl 454'968 hl USD / hl 
90.90 USD / hl 
126.12 - - 
Ethyl alcohol, 
denatured or intended 
for denaturing 2207.2000 6'429 hl 6'429 hl USD / hl 
121.31 USD / hl 
102.66 - - 
                                                      
1 In cases where no imports have taken place under columns 2 or 3, provide an explanation under Section V of this questionnaire.    
2 Members may report either under columns 4 and 5 or under column 6.    
  G/STR/N/14/CHE 
Page 4 TABLE II 
 
SWISS ALCOHOL BOARD 
 
STATISTICAL INFORMATION, EXPORTS, Year 2010  
  
Description of 
product(s) 
(including HS 
number(s)) Total quantity 
exported1 Quantity exported 
by 
state trading 
enterprise1 Average 
procurement price2 Average 
representative 
domestic sales price Average export 
price National production 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
Undenatured ethyl 
alcohol of an 
alcoholic strength by volume of 80% 
volume or higher 
2207.1000 674 hl - USD / hl 
90.90 USD / hl 
126.12 USD / hl 
1313.13 - 
Ethyl alcohol, 
denatured or intended 
for denaturing 
2207.2000 5'070 hl - USD / hl 
121.31 USD / hl 
102.66 USD / hl 
72.84 - 
 
                                                      
1 In cases where no exports have taken place under columns 2 or 3, provide an explanation under Section V of this questionnaire.  
2 In cases where the initial procurement price is augmented by other payments, additional paymen ts should also be reported.  
   G/STR/N/14/CHE
 Page 5TABLE III 
 
SWISS ALCOHOL BOARD 
 
STATISTICAL INFORMATION, DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES, Year 2010  
  
Description of product(s) 
(including HS number(s)) Domestic purchases by 
state trading enterprise National production Domestic sales by 
state trading enterprise National consumption 
1 2 3 4 5 
Undenatured ethyl alcohol of 
an alcoholic strength by volume of 80% volume or 
higher 
2207.1000 - - 12'784.97 hl 12'784.97 hl 
Ethyl alcohol, denatured or 
intended for denaturing 
2207.2000 - - 473'153.13 hl 473'153.13 hl  
  G/STR/N/14/CHE 
Page 6 TABLE I 
 
SWISS ALCOHOL BOARD 
 
STATISTICAL INFORMATION, IMPORTS, Year 2011  
  
Description of 
product(s) 
(including HS 
number(s)) Total quantity 
imported1 Quantity imported 
by 
state trading 
enterprise1 Average import 
price Average 
representative 
domestic sales price Mark-up2 National production 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
Undenatured ethyl 
alcohol of an 
alcoholic strength by volume of 80% 
volume or higher 
2207.1000 430'156 hl 430'156 hl USD / hl 
113.40 USD / hl 
146.88 - - 
Ethyl alcohol, 
denatured or intended 
for denaturing 
2207.2000 3'745 hl 3'745 hl USD / hl 
150.01 USD / hl 
117.71 - - 
 
                                                      
1 In cases where no imports have taken place under columns 2 or 3, provide an explanation under Section V of this questionnaire.    
2 Members may report either under columns 4 and 5 or under column 6.    
   G/STR/N/14/CHE
 Page 7 
TABLE II 
 
SWISS ALCOHOL BOARD 
 
STATISTICAL INFORMATION, EXPORTS, Year 2011  
  
Description of 
product(s) 
(including HS 
number(s)) Total quantity 
exported1 Quantity exported 
by 
state trading 
enterprise1 Average 
procurement price2 Average 
representative 
domestic sales price Average export 
price National production 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
Undenatured ethyl 
alcohol of an 
alcoholic strength by volume of 80% 
volume or higher 
2207.1000 1'201 hl - USD / hl 
113.40 USD / hl 
146.88 USD / hl 
1003.88 - 
Ethyl alcohol, 
denatured or intended 
for denaturing 2207.2000 783 hl - USD / hl 
150.01 USD / hl 
117.71 USD / hl 
141.67 - 
 
                                                      
1 In cases where no exports have taken place under columns 2 or 3, provide an explanation under Section V of this questionnaire.    
2 In cases where the initial procurement price is augmented by ot her payments, additional payments  should also be reported.    
  G/STR/N/14/CHE 
Page 8 TABLE III 
 
SWISS ALCOHOL BOARD 
 
STATISTICAL INFORMATION, DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES, Year 2011  
  
Description of product(s) 
(including HS number(s)) Domestic purchases by 
state trading enterprise National production Domestic sales by 
state trading enterprise National consumption 
1 2 3 4 5 
Undenatured ethyl alcohol of 
an alcoholic strength by volume of 80% volume or 
higher 
2207.1000 - - 11'382.07 hl 11'382.07 hl 
Ethyl alcohol, denatured or 
intended for denaturing 
2207.2000 - - 443'864.50 hl 443'864.50 hl 
 
  
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