Swiss Government Seeks Relaxed Arms Export Rules

Swiss voters will decide on 29 November 2026 whether the government should gain wider room to approve arms exports. The Federal Council has opened its campaign for a revision of the War Materiel Act, arguing that Switzerland’s current restrictions are placing its defence industry under growing pressure.

Swiss law bars the export of military equipment to countries involved in internal or international conflicts. Since Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine began, the rule has made Swiss defence companies less attractive partners, according to the government. European security demands have increased, while Swiss manufacturers face tighter limits on where their products can be sold or transferred.

The proposed revision would give Bern more flexibility during extraordinary crises and allow greater scope for exports and re-exports under defined conditions. Parliament’s centre-right majority backed the change, which now goes to voters under Switzerland’s direct democratic system.

The vote places industrial policy, national defence and neutrality in the same political debate. The government says a viable domestic defence sector supports Switzerland’s ability to equip itself and maintain industrial expertise. Opponents will have to persuade voters that wider executive discretion carries unacceptable risks for Swiss export controls and neutrality.

Swiss arms exports reached CHF 948.2 million in 2025, up 43% from the previous year. Companies in Switzerland sold ammunition, armoured vehicles and other weapons to buyers in 64 countries, according to figures reported by Swissinfo in March.

The increase shows that the defence sector remains commercially significant even under the existing legal framework. It also gives the government a financial and industrial argument for reform. Swiss manufacturers depend on access to international supply chains and markets, while their ability to participate in European defence cooperation can be affected by restrictions on re-exporting equipment.

The proposed law targets that problem. In principle, it would make it easier for Western countries that bought military equipment from Switzerland to transfer it to third countries. The change would not remove all controls. The government would receive a veto and could require equipment to remain in the purchasing country when security or neutrality concerns arise.

The export figures do not by themselves settle the referendum debate. They show the scale of the sector and the commercial stakes. The central policy choice is whether Switzerland should preserve its current limits or give the Federal Council more discretion to respond to shifting security and foreign policy conditions.

The revision would expand government discretion while keeping neutrality and international obligations in the legal framework. Under the proposed system, the Federal Council could depart from existing authorisation criteria in exceptional circumstances when foreign policy or security interests require it.

The government presents that flexibility as a response to crises that can develop faster than legislation. It would allow ministers to assess individual export and re-export cases against current security conditions, rather than applying an inflexible prohibition in every conflict-related situation. The planned veto would give Bern a mechanism to block transfers that could damage Swiss security or neutrality.

Guy Parmelin, who holds Switzerland’s rotating presidency in 2026, stressed the limits of the proposed change in parliament. He said the new regime would be applied in strict compliance with Swiss neutrality and international law. That assurance is central to the government’s campaign, given the political weight of neutrality in Swiss public life.

The reform therefore preserves several safeguards while changing who has room to interpret them. Parliament has approved the proposal, but voters will decide whether those safeguards provide enough control when the government acts in exceptional circumstances.

The 29 November vote will determine how Switzerland balances export control with the needs of its defence base. A yes vote would give the Federal Council broader authority to approve transfers involving Western buyers and third countries, subject to the proposed safeguards and Switzerland’s international commitments.

For the government, the issue reaches beyond company balance sheets. It says a strong domestic defence industry contributes to national defence and gives Switzerland industrial capabilities that could matter during a crisis. The government also argues that the current rules have made the country less attractive as a defence supplier since the war in Ukraine reshaped Europe’s security environment.

A rejection would leave the existing prohibition on exports to countries involved in internal or international conflicts in place. It would also maintain the current limits on re-exports, unless parliament later adopts another approach. The result would affect how Swiss companies work with European partners and how quickly Bern can adjust policy during a security emergency.

The campaign will test public confidence in executive decision-making on weapons. It will also show how voters weigh Switzerland’s neutrality against the economic and strategic case for keeping a domestic defence industry viable.