THE NEW YORK TIMES– As a dairy farmer, Boris Beuret tends to more than 60 cows in the gently rolling meadows of his farm in Switzerland’s Jura region.
Their milk, herbaceous and nutty from the tender grasses they graze on, makes fine Swiss cheeses and chocolates, much of it destined for American consumers.
But recently, Mr. Beuret sent some of his herd to the slaughterhouse prematurely. Nearly every other Swiss dairy farmer is thinking of whether to follow suit.
Since President Trump announced a punishing 39 percent tariff on Switzerland in August, the blow has landed hard on the Swiss dairy industry, where cheese makers have cut production to deal with an expected falloff in U.S. demand.
The tariffs compounded an existing problem: Switzerland has too much milk — and too many cows.
After feeding on Alpine grass, the cows produce an herbaceous, nutty milk
“We need to find a solution with the United States to lower the tariffs,” Mr. Beuret said. “But if things continue, we need to consider whether we need to start slaughtering more cows.”
Few things are as symbolic of Switzerland as its dairy cows, with their giant copper bells, brown and white coats and high-quality milk. No one dreamed that an abrupt shift in U.S. trade policy could play a role in a Swiss way of life that dates back centuries.
On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said he had spoken with Swiss representatives and that trade talks would continue.
A day later, the Supreme Court appeared skeptical about Mr. Trump’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs in a landmark case over involving presidential trade powers.
But the fallout of tariffs imposed this year on U.S. trading partners has become clearer. Clothing factories have been shuttered in Africa. Auto plants in Europe have been cutting jobs …
