Business activity in Hungary

The legal framework of our economic relations are the following arrangements:

  • Agreement on the economic relations, entered into force on 01.01.1974
  • Agreement for the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and property, entered into force on 27.06.1982
  • Agreement on the reciprocal promotion and protection of investement, entered into force on 16.05.1989
  • Free Trade agreement EFTA-Hungary, entered into force on 01.10.1993
  • Bilateral agreement Switzerland-EEC, since the accession of Hungary to the EU

Development of trade

Traditionally ist the balance of trade of Switzerland positive.
Switzerland exported goods to Hungary (2006) to the value of 1.007 Million Swiss Franks, the Hungarian deliveries to Switzerland amounted to 775,3 Million Swiss Franks. Hereby Hungary is the 3. trade partner of Switzerland in Central Europe and 31. trade partner all over the world. But the major share of the Hungarian deliveries is ensured by the companies in Hungary with Swiss interests. From the Hungarian point of view both 1 % of the export goes to Switzerland and 1 % of the total import comes from Switzerland. So Switzerland is the 22 most important trade partner of Hungary.
(Information: Eidgenössische Oberzolldirektion)

Direct investment

Swiss FDI to Hungary has reached at the end of 2006: 2.037 Million Swiss Franks, which represents 0,3 % of the total Swiss FDI stock abroad. Therefore Switzerland is among the first ten investors in Hungary. Swiss companies realized 1,8 % of the total foreign capital investments. The Swiss companies are employing in Hungary 27.568 people which is 1,3 % of the total Swiss workplaces abroad.

Significant contributions from Switzerland towards technical and financial aid to Hungary

Switzerland was one of the first European countries to provide legal, as well as financial aid, to assist the nations of Central and Eastern Europe – firstly Poland, Hungary and the then Czechoslovakia – in their transition to democracy and a market economy. A total of SFr 75M was spent during the period 1990/2000; this sum funded projects in fields as different as the reform of vocational training, continuing education of teachers, reform of the judicial and police systems, management of small and medium-sized companies, modernisation of energy and water supplies and distribution, as well as environment protection.