Comicomment: Watch tariffs are U.S. consumers' 'handcuffs'

After months of talks, the United States has slapped a 39% tariff on Swiss imports, leaving Switzerland stunned. The U.S., Switzerland’s biggest single export market, buys products ranging from watches and chocolate to pharmaceuticals and machine tools. Washington says the move is driven by its trade deficit with Switzerland.

Swiss officials and business leaders blasted the tariffs as “absurd” and “dangerous,” warning of heavy damage to the country’s export-driven economy. Much of the added cost, however, is expected to fall on American consumers, as prices for Swiss goods—like precision watches—rise sharply and add to everyday living expenses.