Swiss January exports to China went up by 19.2% year on year, according to recent figures by the Swiss Federal Customs Administration.

"Including Hong Kong, Swiss companies exported goods in the value of 761 million Swiss francs in this period of time, resulting in a trade surplus of 228 million Swiss francs", explains Nicolas Musy, Managing Director of Swiss Center Shanghai (SCS), an organization which offers network of experts and facilitates their market entry for Swiss companies seeking chances in China.

Mr. Musy expects exports to grow in the just started Chinese year of the tiger. "China will continue to develop as it does now. And traditional Swiss exports, such as watches and machinery, will remain strong", says Musy.

Stable China exports in 2009

The year of 2009 was an "annus horribilis" for worldwide Swiss exports, suffering the sharpest decline in decades. For example, exports to Germany went down by 16% and exports to the EU declined by 14.7%. In the same period of time, the trade with China was relatively stable. "The 2009 exports to China declined by mere 2.2%, still securing a positive trade balance. In December 2009, exports to China grew by 18.9% - and the January figures prolong this very positive trend", analyzes Musy.