Swiss Made
Why there are rules
Several studies have found that a Swiss origin can make up as much as 20% of the sale price of some products, and as much as 50% for luxury goods, compared with similar goods from elsewhere. Because the label is valuable, it is also misused at home and abroad, which harms its credibility. The rules are meant to protect it.[1]
The Swiss Parliament adopted the Swissness legislation on 21 June 2013. It amended the trade mark law and fully revised the law on the protection of public coats of arms. The Federal Council issued the implementing ordinances on 2 September 2015, and the rules came into force on 1 January 2017.[1]
When a product counts as Swiss
The law treats different kinds of products differently, because people do not expect the same amount of Swissness in a Swiss apple, a Swiss toothbrush or a Swiss cheese.[2]
The main conditions for each kind of product are as follows.[1][2]
| Kind of product | Main condition |
|---|---|
| Natural products (plants, mineral water, meat) | one criterion that depends on the product, for plants the place of harvest |
| Foodstuffs | at least 80% of the weight of the raw materials from Switzerland (100% of the milk in dairy products), and the processing that gives the food its essential characteristics done in Switzerland |
| Industrial products, including cosmetics | at least 60% of the manufacturing costs in Switzerland, and at least one essential manufacturing step done there |
| Services | the company has its registered office in Switzerland and is actually run from there |
What counts as manufacturing costs. For industrial products, the costs include raw materials, semi-finished products, parts, production wages and overheads, and also research and development, quality assurance and certification. Natural materials that do not exist in Switzerland, such as precious metals or mineral oil, are left out of the calculation. Materials that exist there only in short supply count only to the extent they are available, and minor additives may be ignored.[2]
Single steps. A company that does not meet these conditions may still name one step of production if that step is done entirely in Switzerland, as in "Designed in Switzerland" or "Smoked in Switzerland". In that case it may not show the Swiss cross.[1][2]
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are one of two product groups with an industry ordinance of their own; the other is watches. For these products, Swiss indications of source and the Swiss cross may be used only if the ordinance's extra requirements are also met.[1]
Under the cosmetics ordinance, at least 60% of the manufacturing costs must arise in Switzerland, as for other industrial products, and in addition at least 80% of the costs of research, development and production. The ordinance also lists activities that strongly affect the quality of a cosmetic product and must therefore take place in Switzerland. It applies to cosmetic products and to some cosmetic ingredients, and came into force with the general Swissness rules on 1 January 2017. It was based on a preliminary draft by the cosmetics industry.[3]
The Swiss cross
Since 2017, a white cross on a red background may be shown on goods that meet the conditions for a Swiss origin. Before, it was allowed only for Swiss services.[1][2]
- Next to words such as "Swiss Engineering", the cross is generally read as a claim that the whole product is Swiss, so it may not be used that way unless the product meets the conditions. It is allowed only when it sits exactly between the two words and is no larger than the letters.[2]
- The Swiss coat of arms, a Swiss cross inside a triangular shield, is reserved for the Confederation; companies that have displayed it for decades may apply to keep that right.[2][1]
- The cross may not be used to suggest a link with the Confederation, or, especially in the medical field, where it could be confused with the emblem of the Red Cross.[1]
Swiss cosmetics association
SWISSCOS, the Association for the Protection of the Origin of Swiss Cosmetics, is a Swiss public-utility association based in Pully that works with the federal authorities against the misuse of "Swiss Made" on cosmetics. By its own account, it applies the strictest rules to its members and guarantees that their products are fully made and packed in Switzerland, with research and development there.[4] It also took part in drafting the cosmetics ordinance.[3]
How cosmetics are regulated in Switzerland
Swiss law does not require cosmetics to be registered or approved before sale, but they must meet the legal requirements. Cosmetics count as articles of daily use under the Swiss food law, and the cantons enforce it.[5]
What a cosmetic is. A cosmetic is a substance or mixture meant to come into contact with the outside of the body, such as skin, hair, nails, lips and the outer intimate areas, or with the teeth and the lining of the mouth, mainly to clean, perfume, protect or care for them, change their appearance or affect body odour. Products meant to be swallowed, inhaled, injected or implanted are not cosmetics.[5]
- Before a product is first sold, a product information file must exist, with a description of the product, a safety report by a qualified person, and a description of the manufacturing method with a statement that good manufacturing practice was followed.
- The company must check its own compliance: product safety, good manufacturing practice, sampling and analysis, traceability, withdrawal and recall, and records that the authorities can see on request.
- Manufacturing must meet hygiene standards based on ISO 22716, the international guideline on good manufacturing practice for cosmetics; certification of the plant is not required.[5]
Ingredients. Which substances may be used is regulated by reference to the annexes of the EU cosmetics regulation, with a few Swiss deviations. A substance that no rule covers may be used if the safety report assesses it.[5]
- The label must give the ingredient list in descending order of amount, using a recognised naming system; the purpose of the product unless it is obvious; the name and address of the manufacturer, importer or distributor; the minimum durability and any storage conditions; the batch number; and warnings.
- The information must be in at least one official language of Switzerland.
- A cosmetic may not claim to cure, relieve or prevent disease, and its advertising may not be misleading.
- "Not tested on animals" may be stated only if neither the manufacturer nor its suppliers tested the product or its ingredients on animals for the development of new cosmetics.[5]
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), SME Portal, "Swissness": Regulated symbols and labels. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, The new 'Swissness' legislation: the most important changes. 2 September 2015, updated 23 March 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, The "Swiss Made" Ordinance for Cosmetics. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ SWISSCOS, Homepage. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Canton of Aargau, Consumer Protection Office, Merkblatt Nr. 26: Vertrieb von Kosmetika in der Schweiz (in German). Status 26 March 2026.