Economy and Market

Cheese is one of the most traded dairy products in the world. Switzerland produces more cheese than it consumes. It exports its artisan premium cheeses in particular to the surrounding European states. 

In 2021, 207,155 tonnes of cheese were produced in Switzerland. For this purpose, 1,591,397 tonnes of Swiss milk were processed. This corresponds to 46.7% of Swiss milk production.  About 40% of Swiss cheese production is exported. No other agricultural product in Switzerland is so successful in export. 

The most important trading partner for cheeses from Switzerland is Europe. Over 80 % of cheese exports go to our neighbouring countries. Our main customers are Germany, Italy and France. Overseas exports are trending upwards.  

Emmentaler AOP, Le Gruyère AOP and Appenzeller® together account for 38% of cheese exports. Raclette, Tête de Moine AOP and Sbrinz AOP are also in demand. 

The Swiss cheese market has been freely accessible to EU products since 2007. Since then, the import of cheese into Switzerland has been increasing, especially from Germany. German cheese is cheaper than the cheese specialities from Switzerland. A large part of the imported goods goes to hotels, restaurants and canteens, as well as to certain branches of the food industry, which primarily focus on low prices.