Switzerland

In 2024, Switzerland was not a globally significant producer of mineral commodities. The country produced refined precious metals (gold, palladium, platinum, silver), raw steel, and semimanufactured steel; and industrial mineral commodities such as cement, gypsum, lime, nitrogen (ammonia), and salt. Switzerland was the world's largest importer and exporter of gold by value (Harmonized System [H.S.] chapter 7108), importing \$107 billion and exporting \$117 billion of gold in 2024. The country mainly imported gold from the United States (\$12.5 billion; 12% of Switzerland’s imported gold by value), the United Arab Emirates (\$12.3 billion; also 12%), and Canada (\$7.5 billion; 7%). Of Switzerland’s total raw gold imports (H.S. heading 7108.12), highly refined gold (>99.5% purity by weight) composed 65% (\$67.8 billion) of imports by value; mined gold accounted for 30% (\$31.3 billion); and gold for use in industry (<99.5% purity by weight) accounted for 5% (\$4.8 billion). Swiss refineries remelted imported unrefined gold and lower-purity bars into bars of the highest purity (99.99%), which were then subsequently used for trading; more than 80% of imported gold was exported following such refinement. Switzerland mainly exported gold (H.S. chapter 7108) to China (which received 20% of Switzerland’s gold by value), India (17%), and the United States (11%; Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, undated; Trade Data Monitor, 2026; OrSuisse AG, 2024). 

The Federal Government entrusts the legislative rights to underground mineral resources to its administrative districts, known as Cantons (Article 3 of the Federal Constitution; Swiss Civil Code, Article 664 ZGB). As such, mining law and mineral resource rights vary across the country. Mineral commodities were mostly produced by private companies; however, the Government of Switzerland (as represented by its 26 Cantons) and the Government of Liechtenstein shared ownership of Schweizer Salinen AG, the only salt producer in the country (Schweizer Salinen AG, undated; Swiss Rights, 2024; Geothermie-Suisse.ch, 2025; Government of Switzerland, The, 2024).  

Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities. More-extensive coverage of government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports—International—Europe and Central Eurasia, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/europ…;

Production table

(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)

References Cited 

• Federal Office for Customs and Border Security, undated, Gold, silver and coins—Gold imports aggregated by country—Monthly data / Available from 2021: Bern, Switzerland, Federal Office for Customs and Border Security. (Accessed April 6, 2026, via https://www.bazg.admin.ch/bazg/en/home/topics/swiss-foreign-trade-stati….) 

• Geothermie-Suisse.ch, 2025, 9. À qui appartient le sous-sol et ses ressources en Suisse? [To whom does the subsurface and its resources belong in Switzerland?]: Bern, Switzerland, Geothermie-Suisse.ch, November 27. (Accessed January 14, 2026, at https://geothermie-schweiz.ch/fr/sp_accordion_faqs/10-a-qui-appartient-….) [In French.] 

• Government of Switzerland, The, 2024, Constitution Fédérale de la Confédération Suisse [Federal constitution of the Swiss Confederation]: Bern, Switzerland, The Government of Switzerland, March 3. (Accessed January 14, 2026, at https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1999/404/fr.) [In French.] 

• OrSuisse AG, 2024, L’or et la Suisse—une parfait combinaison [Gold and Switzerland—the perfect combination]: Altdorf, Switzerland, OrSuisse AG. (Accessed April 6, 2026, at https://www.orsuisse.ch/fr/plus-dinformations/or-et-suisse/.) [In French.] 

• Swiss Rights, 2024, SCC Art. 664: Bern, Switzerland, Swiss Rights. (Accessed January 14, 2026, at https://swissrights.ch/gesetze/Artikel-664-ZGB-2024-EN.php.)  

• Schweizer Salinen AG, [undated], The Swiss Salt monopoly: Pratteln, Switzerland, Schweizer Salinen AG. (Accessed February 24, 2026, at https://www.salz.ch/en/about-us/swiss-salt-monopoly.) 

• Trade Data Monitor LLC, 2026, Trade Data Monitor: Geneva, Switzerland, Trade Data Monitor database. (Accessed April 6, 2026, via https://tradedatamonitor.com/.)