Switzerland cannot yet ban imports from Israeli settlements

Switzerland currently lacks the legal basis to ban imports from Israeli settlements in occupied territories, SRF reported. A group of prominent Israelis has urged the Federal Council to stop trade in such products, citing an opinion by the International Court of Justice in The Hague that declared Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories unlawful.

Switzerland requires precise origin labelling for some products, including food, wood products and fur. Goods from settlement areas must not be labelled simply as coming from Israel. The origin must instead be specified, for example as the West Bank or Golan. No such requirement applies to many other products.

The European Union has required since 2015 that products from occupied territories be labelled explicitly. A reference only to the West Bank is not sufficient, as it could also refer to a Palestinian product. Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium have introduced import bans on settlement products in recent months, while other European countries are discussing similar measures.

Under Switzerland’s Embargo Act, the Federal Council can only adopt sanctions previously imposed by the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe or the EU. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said no such international sanctions are currently in force. Switzerland would therefore first need to create a legal basis for a ban.

It is also unclear how many settlement products reach Switzerland. In 2025, goods worth one million Swiss francs were imported from the entire occupied Palestinian territory, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. The share originating from Israeli settlements cannot be determined. Because most product categories do not require precise origin labelling, many settlement goods may enter Switzerland under the designation Israel and not appear in the figures.