Relationship dossier
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
Switzerland and the United Kingdom sustain close economic cooperation through bilateral trade and financial-services arrangements.
Switzerland toward United Kingdom
+55The Swiss government negotiated a continuity trade agreement with the United Kingdom ahead of Brexit and concluded a bilateral financial-services agreement with the UK in 2023. These arrangements provide concrete frameworks for continued economic cooperation.
United Kingdom toward Switzerland
+55The UK government negotiated a continuity trade agreement with Switzerland ahead of Brexit and concluded a bilateral financial-services agreement with Switzerland in 2023. These arrangements provide concrete frameworks for continued economic cooperation.
Overall relationship
+55The bilateral relationship has a durable economic foundation. The continuity trade agreement maintained a framework for trade after the United Kingdom left the European Union, while the 2023 financial-services agreement broadened bilateral cooperation. These arrangements support a substantially cooperative relationship, although their practical scope and implementation remain relevant uncertainties.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Switzerland and the United Kingdom maintain a substantially cooperative relationship, supported by agreements that preserved trade arrangements after Brexit and expanded cooperation in financial services. Both governments have negotiated bilateral frameworks addressing practical economic ties. The relationship is sustained and substantive, though the known cooperation does not indicate an exceptionally close partnership.
Key developments
The United Kingdom and Switzerland signed a continuity trade agreement to preserve their trade relationship after Brexit.
The bilateral continuity trade agreement entered into force.
The United Kingdom and Switzerland signed a bilateral financial-services agreement.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation and practical effects of newer bilateral financial-services arrangements are unclear.
- The breadth of cooperation beyond trade, services and mobility is uncertain.