Swiss government campaigns for relaxed arms-export rules

Swiss voters face a November 29 decision that could reshape the country’s arms-export regime. The Federal Council has opened its campaign for a yes vote on a revised War Materiel Act, arguing that Switzerland’s strict rules are weakening the industrial base needed for national defence.

The campaign follows parliament’s approval of a package that would give the government more room to authorise arms exports and re-exports in tightly defined circumstances. The proposed changes arrive as Russia’s war against Ukraine has altered European security policy and increased pressure on defence manufacturers across the continent.

Under current Swiss law, companies cannot export military equipment to states involved in internal or international conflicts. That restriction has made Swiss suppliers less attractive to European partners, according to the government. Bern says the resulting pressure threatens production capacity and employment in a sector it considers strategically important.

Economics Minister Guy Parmelin, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency in 2026, has presented the reform as a security and foreign-policy measure. The referendum will determine whether the Federal Council receives the additional authority it says it needs to respond to a more demanding European security environment.

The proposed law would loosen the rules governing transfers to third countries. The centre-right parliamentary majority wants the Federal Council to gain broader discretion when military equipment bought from Swiss manufacturers is later transferred or re-exported by Western states.

The reform would also create a government veto. Bern could require equipment to remain in the purchasing country when security or neutrality concerns arise. That provision would give the Federal Council a direct tool to block a transfer it considers incompatible with Swiss interests, even after an initial sale has been approved.

In exceptional circumstances, the government could depart from existing authorisation criteria to protect foreign-policy or security interests. Any such decision would still have to comply with Switzerland’s international obligations. The government describes this as flexibility for extraordinary crises, rather than a general removal of controls.

The legal change reflects a growing concern that Swiss manufacturers cannot participate fully in European defence cooperation while facing stricter export conditions than some partners. Switzerland eased parts of its rules earlier in 2026, allowing sales to countries involved in conflicts. The referendum now asks voters to endorse a broader framework for government action.

Swiss companies exported war materiel worth CHF 948.2 million in 2025, 43% more than the previous year. Firms supplied ammunition, armoured vehicles and other weapons to 64 countries, according to figures reported by Swissinfo in March.

Those figures give the government’s argument a measurable economic dimension. The defence sector already generates substantial export activity, yet Bern says strict rules could make Swiss companies unreliable partners for European buyers seeking integrated supply chains. If manufacturers lose orders, the effects could reach specialist production lines, engineering expertise and the workforce that supports them.

The government links industrial capacity directly to national defence. Switzerland’s armed forces depend on a domestic base able to maintain equipment, develop components and respond to changing security requirements. Officials argue that companies need access to foreign markets to remain viable, particularly because the Swiss market alone cannot sustain every specialised capability.

The 2025 export figures do not settle the referendum debate. They show the scale of the sector and the value at stake as voters weigh economic resilience against the country’s long-standing restrictions on arms transfers. The Federal Council is using that industrial argument to press for approval of the revised law.