AS dairy farmer Boris Beuret moves through the gently rolling meadows of his farm in Switzerland’s Jura region, he counts more than 60 cows – or at least he used to.
Their milk, rich from tender grasses, goes into the cheeses and chocolates that Switzerland is known for, much of it bound for the United States.
But a few weeks ago, Beuret sent part of his herd to slaughter earlier than planned. And he’s far from alone.
Since US President Donald Trump slapped a 39% tariff on Swiss dairy exports in August, Switzerland’s farmers have been staring down a new, unwelcome reality.
Cheesemakers have cut production, export prices have surged and a long-standing problem – too much milk and too many cows – suddenly looks unsustainable.
“We need to find a solution with the United States to lower the tariffs,” Beuret said.
“But if things continue, we need to consider whether we need to start slaughtering more cows.”
Few symbols are as tightly woven into Switzerland’s cultural fabric as the dairy cow.
These bell-clad, brown-and-white icons have shaped Alpine life for centuries. That a trade dispute half a world away could threaten that way of life feels almost surreal.
Trump recently claimed he had spoken with Swiss representatives and that talks would continue. A day later, the Supreme Court seemed sceptical about his authority to issue sweeping tariffs at all.
But for now, the fallout is real. Clothing factories in Africa have shut. Auto plants across Europe are cutting jobs. And in Switzerland, it is the pastures behind Beuret’s farmhouse that tell the story.
Abundance – at the worst time
Beuret’s dairy is one of roughly 20,000 across Switzerland, collectively responsible for 90% of the country’s milk.
Tradition matters deeply: instead of industrial-scale farming, Swiss farmers still escort nearly 550,000 cows up the Alps each summer to feed on high-altitude grass, then bring them back down in colourful autumn parades.
To protect this way of life, strict quotas govern production and pricing.
But an unusually rainy spring produced lush, abundant grass. Cows ate well. Too well.
Milk output soared – what should have been a manageable surplus in an ordinary year.
Stefan Kohler, director of the dairy trade group IP Lait, said the industry would normally turn excess milk into powder or frozen butter.
“But when Donald Trump announced his tariffs, those calculations were thrown off track,” he said.
A tariff shock
The United States is Switzerland’s second-largest market after Europe, taking in 13% of its cheese exports.
The bulk is premium Alpine Gruyere, but Americans also buy Emmentaler, Tilsiter, Appenzeller and plenty of chocolate made with Swiss milk.
Anthony Margot, co-owner of Margot Fromages, a 139-year-old company and one of the country’s largest cheese dealers, said he was blindsided.
The Swiss expected something closer to the European Union’s 15% duty.
Instead, with additional levies and a weakening US dollar, the effective tariff now tops 50%.
Switzerland keeps its own import duties low for most goods, but protects its farmers fiercely.
Some agricultural tariffs exceed 100%, which Margot concedes may look unfair from the US perspective.
“But neither,” he added, “were Trump’s tariffs.”
As prices swung upward, the Gruyere industry advised producers to cut output by 5%.
Margot’s company matures 10% of all Swiss Gruyere – around 36,000 wheels stored in cavernous cellars – and exports 4,500 tonnes each year to 40 countries.
Cheese that used to retail for US$15 to US$50 per pound now sells for US$20 to US$70, he said. Demand has wobbled accordingly.
Culling the herd
With cheesemakers scaling back, IP Lait pushed for action to stabilise prices for farmers.
“We already had excess production due to good weather, but Donald Trump’s decision made the glass overflow,” Kohler said.
The group recommended cutting annual milk output by 50,000 tonnes – the equivalent of roughly 25,000 cows. The fastest method, Kohler admitted, is early slaughter.
Beuret, who also heads Swissmilk, has already taken that step.
Three dairy cows have gone to the abattoir ahead of schedule, and he is weighing further cuts.
Farmers are hesitant, he said, hoping a lower tariff might still emerge from negotiations.
“In Switzerland, the cow is almost a sacred animal,” he said.
“If you say you have to kill more cows, that sends shockwaves.”
The concern extends even to beef producers, who fear that an unexpected glut of meat could depress prices.
Switzerland normally culls about 85,000 dairy cows annually as they age and produce less milk, replacing them with younger heifers.
Their meat is typically used in hamburger and pet food.
Kohler stressed that any additional slaughter would be gradual.
“It’s not like thousands of cows would be killed suddenly,” he said.
Farmers might simply thin their herds “more quickly than normal in the next couple of months”.
Searching for a way forward
Most in the industry would prefer alternatives to culling. Ideas range from producing mozzarella domestically – currently imported from Italy – to increasing yogurt production or launching “solidarity campaigns” urging Swiss consumers to eat more local dairy.
A few farmers have floated the idea of modifying feed to reduce milk volume, though that comes with its own challenges.
Meanwhile, the government is accelerating trade outreach beyond the United States. Talks with Latin America, India and China have gained urgency.
China, in particular, is showing growing interest in Swiss dairy.
Kohler put it bluntly: “Americans should know that the whole world is starting to organise trade without the United States.” — ©2025 The New York Times Company
This article originally appeared in The New York Times
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