In early 1996, the new cartel law came into effect, introducing the presumption that horizontal agreements setting prices, production volume, or territorial distribution diminish effective competition and are therefore unlawful. A separate law makes less extensive guarantees at the cantonal and community levels. As a net international creditor, debt management policies are not relevant to Switzerland. Import licenses for agricultural products are subject to quotas and tied to an obligation for importers to take a certain percentage of domestic production. The implementation of the Uruguay Round will remove some of these restrictions, including those affecting U. S. exports of asparagus and wine.
Tariffs remain quite high for many other agricultural products.
With the exception of telecommunications, the Swiss services sector features no significant barriers to U.S exports. Foreign insurers wishing to do business in Switzerland are required to establish a subsidiary or a branch here. Foreign insurers may offer only those types of insurance for which they are licensed in their home countries. The most serious barriers to U.S. exports exist in the domain of telecommunications. The Swiss PTT controls the public network and all services related to voice transmission and satellite communication.