Swiss Made and Swissness Labelling: A Compliance Guide

What a Swiss origin claim communicates

Swissness rules apply to indications that lead customers to believe a product or service has a Swiss origin. The wording may appear on packaging, a product page or an advert, while a Swiss flag or other Swiss image can create the same impression. Businesses should therefore review the complete presentation, not only the product name.

The test depends on the kind of product. Industrial products, natural products, food and services do not all use the same origin criteria. This guide focuses on the industrial-product calculation and should not be used to treat that calculation as a universal test.

How the industrial-product test works

As of November 2026, an industrial product generally qualifies when at least 60 per cent of its manufacturing costs arise in Switzerland and an essential manufacturing step takes place there. These requirements apply together. A high local cost share does not replace the need for a qualifying manufacturing step, and a substantial local step does not remove the cost calculation.

The statutory framework is in the Swiss Trade Mark Protection Act, including Article 48c. The rules entered into force on 1 January 2017. The official text of the Trade Mark Protection Act should be read with the product-specific guidance for the relevant category.

Before claiming Swiss origin, define the product and production process being assessed. A product family may contain different materials, suppliers or manufacturing routes, so one calculation may not support every model or version.

How to build a cost and production file

A defensible Swissness file links the cost calculation to the real production process. Gather the bill of materials, supplier declarations, invoices, production records and a description of where each operation takes place. Identify which manufacturing step gives the product its essential characteristics and preserve the evidence that supports that conclusion.

Reconcile the calculation to the company’s accounting records and make the assumptions visible. If supplier data is incomplete, mark the gap rather than treating an estimate as verified. For a group structure, record which entity incurs each relevant cost and where the work is performed.

Origin review is separate from brand clearance. Our guides to Swiss trademark searches and Swiss and EU trademark scope cover those related, but distinct, questions.

How to review packaging and marketing

A business should compare every Swiss-origin phrase and image in its marketing against the product evidence. Review labels, packaging, online shop copy, product sheets, trade-show material and distributor descriptions. A claim that is defensible in one context may be misleading when paired with a Swiss flag or an unqualified Swiss Made headline.

Give marketing and product teams a clear approval record. Identify the product version, origin test applied, evidence reviewed and person who approved the claim. When suppliers, manufacturing locations or cost allocations change, reopen the review before updated materials are published.

When this does not apply

The industrial-product test does not settle the origin of food, natural products, services or every other category. Each has its own statutory criteria. A business that makes no Swiss-origin representation may not need a Swissness claim review, but it should still assess whether its wording or imagery creates that impression in context.

Use the right review before a claim goes live

Swissness compliance is an origin question, while registration protects a brand sign. A business should complete both reviews where it plans to use a Swiss-origin claim and wants to protect a name or logo. The IP and trademark guides cover the related questions of clearance, protection and market scope.