Strong Franc Gloom Deepens For Exporters

Strong Franc Gloom Deepens For Exporters by Matthew Allen, swissinfo.ch

With the sky-high franc showing no signs of returning to earth, task forces at export-oriented Swiss companies are busily working out ways to tighten belts and stay competitive in the face of the currency crisis.

Baumann Springs is one such small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). Unless it makes changes, the firm calculates it will lose around 10% of its turnover this year while its Swiss operations, based in Ermenswil in canton St Gallen, will run at an operating loss.

Baumann is not alone among exporters of all sizes that are facing the pinch. Swissmem, the umbrella lobby group for the electrical engineering, metalworking, machine building and precision tools industries, said...