With a 39% tariff on imported goods from Switzerland, the Alpine nation’s cheesemakers face a decline in exports to this key market.

Trump has imposed a 39% tariff on all goods from Switzerland, hitting Swiss cheese producers hard, as the U.S. accounted for 11% of their exports last year, reports the online media outlet Fødevarewatch.

Gruyère, Switzerland’s largest cheese industry, exports 40% of its production, with one-third going to the U.S. On average, 4,000 tons of Gruyère are shipped to the U.S. annually, and this is expected to drop by 1,000 tons due to the new tariffs.

• The duties are huge. Gruyère is a niche product that’s already very expensive to begin with, and unfortunately, people in the U.S. who can still afford it will now have to pay even more, said cheesemaker Anthony Margot.

Gruyère producers have responded by cutting production by 3%, increasing marketing investments, and preparing to raise prices, while the Swiss president and economy minister have traveled to the U.S. in the hope of negotiating the tariff rates.

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