Swiss chocolatiers are facing a bittersweet Easter following Trump's tariffs.

As the Easter season approaches, the mood in Switzerland's chocolate industry is gloomy due to high cocoa prices and now new tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports.

Many Swiss, from chocolatiers to watchmakers and other businesses, are in "shock" over America's tough stance on trade, but many are also adopting a wait-and-see attitude. At the Festichoc chocolate festival held in Geneva over the weekend, the tariffs announced by the Trump administration last week were on many people's minds, but it didn't seem to dampen the mood regarding Switzerland's most famous sweets. Julie Jammes, marketing manager of Geneva chocolatier Canonica, which has three stores in San Francisco, said the company has not yet decided what steps to take. Jammes stated, "We will wait a bit longer, but it is clearly a shock for us." This situation aligns with Switzerland's overall approach. Despite the heavy tariff of 31% imposed by the U.S. on Swiss goods (much higher than the 20% rate faced by exports from the European Union), the government in Bern is currently taking a cautious approach. However, it warned about the impact on key Swiss industries such as watches, coffee capsules, cheese, and chocolate. "The increase in trade tensions is not in Switzerland's interest. Measures to counter the U.S. tariff increases will bring costs to the Swiss economy, especially by making imports from the U.S. more expensive," the government said, adding that the executive branch "is therefore not planning to implement any countermeasures at this time." The government announced that Switzerland's exports to the U.S. would be subject to an additional 10% tariff starting Saturday and 21% starting Wednesday. The government noted that the U.S. is Switzerland's second-largest trading partner after the EU, and trade in goods and services between the U.S. and Switzerland has quadrupled in the last twenty years. The Swiss government stated that Switzerland eliminated all industrial tariffs on January 1 last year, meaning that 99% of goods coming from the U.S. can be imported into Switzerland duty-free.

A box of chocolates costs $45. The atmosphere remained cheerful at the annual gathering in the town of Versoix, near Geneva. Jammes from Canonica expressed hope that the "customer base" in the U.S. would remain loyal, but said, "I put myself in the consumer's place" and realized that wallet issues could deter many customers. In a statement on Saturday, she said, "I don’t understand why I would pay $45 tomorrow for a box of [chocolates] that I’m paying $30 for today." "This is still a very complex issue." The Swiss chocolate industry association Chocosuisse expressed its disappointment over the Trump tariffs, although it can still rely on the domestic market. The Swiss consume more than 10 kilograms of chocolate per person per year, making them among the world's largest chocolate consumers. Chocosuisse stated, "It is completely incomprehensible that Switzerland is targeted by these tariffs," taking the situation "very seriously" and noting that the measures taken by the U.S. have "dealt a heavy blow to our businesses and represent a significant burden that will complicate exports to the U.S." Philippe Pascoet, a chocolatier from Geneva, complained about the sharp rise in cocoa prices over the last six months and mentioned that the U.S. market has always been challenging for small producers. "Trump now wants to impose taxes on imported products. However, sending chocolate to the U.S. has always been complicated for health reasons," he said. "They want to control what is imported into their country. That's why even people who order chocolate from us online often find that the chocolate is blocked at customs," he added.