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Philippe Bardet is the director of the Interprofession du Gruy\u00e8re AOP trade association. He is now leaving this position after almost 30 years. <\/p>\n
Vera Leysinger \/ SWI swissinfo.ch <\/p>\n
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The planned hikes in customs duties are prompting United States importers of Swiss cheeses to adopt a wait-and-see approach, says Philippe Bardet, director of the trade association Interprofession du Gruy\u00e8re.\n<\/p>\n
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May 31, 2025 – 10:30\n<\/p>\n
The United States is the leading export market for Swiss Gruy\u00e8re PDO (protected designation of origin). However, the increased tariffs facing all imports into the United States are driving producers to pursue diversification strategies. Two major markets \u2013 China and Russia \u2013 remain difficult to penetrate.<\/p>\n
SWI swissinfo.ch visited the Maison du Gruy\u00e8re show dairy to meet Philippe Bardet, the first director of the interbranch association, Interprofession du Gruy\u00e8re AOP. He is now stepping down from this position, which he has held since 1997. We talk about the risks and challenges awaiting the sector and the brand.<\/p>\n
SWI swissinfo.ch: US President Donald Trump has threatened additional tariffs on all imports to the United States. What would this mean for Swiss Gruy\u00e8re PDO?<\/strong><\/p>\n Philippe Bardet: Our strategy is to diversify our export markets. That said, the United States is such a vast country that, over the past 20 years, we have gone from 2,000 tonnes to over 4,000 tonnes a year \u2013 despite the rise in the Swiss franc and Americans\u2019 phobia about the hygiene of raw-milk products.<\/p>\n Traditionally, customs duties on Gruy\u00e8re PDO stood at 10%. In the near future, between 10% and 31% could be added. The main problem today is the uncertainty. As a result, US importers are adopting a wait-and-see approach.<\/p>\n If prices went up in the US, we don\u2019t yet know what the impact on sales would be. As a high-end product consumed regularly but in small quantities in the United States, the damage could be limited \u2013 unless many Americans lose their jobs, as unemployment benefits in that country are low. It should also be remembered that Gruy\u00e8re PDO sells for an average of CHF50 ($60) a kilo in the US, more than twice what it costs in Switzerland.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur strategy is to diversify our export markets.\u201d <\/p>\n Vera Leysinger \/ SWI swissinfo.ch <\/p>\n SWI: Since 2023, the name \u201cGruy\u00e8re\u201d has been considered a generic term in the United States, meaning that a cheese can be so labelled no matter where it is made. Is this really a problem, given the strength of your brand and the specific taste of Gruy\u00e8re PDO?<\/strong><\/p>\n P.B.: It\u2019s a huge problem, as it doesn\u2019t just concern Gruy\u00e8re PDO but potentially all comparable European food products, such as Parmesan, Parma ham and Cognac. This US court decision makes our products less exclusive and, in the long term, we could face the same difficulties as Swiss Emmental. What\u2019s more, under the guise of free trade, the United States is trying to sway Latin America, Canada and perhaps even Australia to follow suit.<\/p>\n SWI: Your aim is to diversify your exports. What are the major growth opportunities internationally? What about China and Russia?<\/strong><\/p>\n P.B.: More than half of the 30,000 tonnes of Gruy\u00e8re cheese produced annually are consumed in Switzerland. Around 7,000 tonnes are consumed in the European Union and 4,000 tonnes in the United States. Our strategy is to strengthen our position in foreign markets where we already have a strong presence, rather than conquering new markets. In Europe, our market share [by volume] is a mere 0.2%. The growth potential is therefore enormous, especially in Northern Europe.<\/p>\n In China, we conducted numerous trials that were inconclusive, as Gruy\u00e8re PDO does not fit in with Chinese culinary tradition. We invested heavily in Russia and the results were promising, but this market has become much trickier since the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n SWI: There are around 700 different varieties of cheese in Switzerland, some ten of which officially bear the PDO labelExternal link<\/a>. How do you explain the fact that Gruy\u00e8re PDO is the best-known, most consumed and most exported cheese?<\/strong><\/p>\n Consumers also appreciate the connection between our cheese and our region. Lastly, our specifications include a \u201cgrading\u201d [assessment] system: only cheeses that obtain a minimum number of points may be marketed as Gruy\u00e8re PDO.<\/p>\n Impressions of the meeting room where the interview took place. <\/p>\n Vera Leysinger \/ SWI swissinfo.ch <\/p>\n SWI: A total of 31 appeals were lodged by cheesemakers against the grading board in 2024. How do you explain this?<\/strong><\/p>\n P.B.: We carry out 2,000 gradings a year. This represents a real quality control by a neutral board. The cheeses are graded out of 20 points, and the cheesemakers have to obtain at least 18 points to be able to market their Gruy\u00e8re PDO without restriction; this is the case in around 95% of cases.<\/p>\n With a score of between 16.5 and 18 points, the cheese can be sold in grated form, for instance for fondue. Below 16.5 points, it can only be sold as generic, unbranded cheese. Between the first and third categories, the price varies by a factor of two. The stakes are therefore high. This explains the appeals, which are then handled by a new board. In addition, thanks to this grading, we establish a ranking that stimulates positive competition among cheesemakers.<\/p>\n SWI: There are four official types of Gruy\u00e8re PDO: Gruy\u00e8re PDO, Gruy\u00e8re PDO R\u00e9serve, Gruy\u00e8re PDO Bio [organic] and Gruy\u00e8re PDO Alpage. In the shops, however, we can see many additional descriptions, such as \u201csemi-salty\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n P.B: The question of additional descriptions sparked much debate during the drafting of the specifications, and we were unable to reach a consensus. I believe it makes sense to leave some leeway to retailers, even if I find that descriptions such as \u201csalty\u201d or \u201csemi-salty\u201d are not ideal, as they don\u2019t truly reflect the reality. What is more, the presence of salt can be a sensitive subject.<\/p>\n SWI: Why do you object to the Nutri-Score rating system, which divides foods into five categories depending on their nutritional quality?<\/strong><\/p>\n P.B.: With the colour system \u2013 as used, for example, to rate the CO2 emissions of cars \u2013 green has a positive connotation and red a negative one. A car manufacturer can always produce electric cars to achieve green status. But our cheesemakers have to follow precise specifications, and therefore Gruy\u00e8re PDO will always be rated orange, or even red, by Nutri-Score.<\/p>\n The Nutri-Score system is also too simplistic. Ideally, it would be better to define a daily intake of salt or fat appropriate for each individual. For most consumers, eating the usual amounts of Gruy\u00e8re PDO (an average of around 3kg a year in Switzerland) poses no problem. What\u2019s more, Gruy\u00e8re PDO does not contain lactose, a fact that is not brought out by the Nutri-Score.<\/p>\n \u201cThe historical roots of the production area are a key asset in guaranteeing the quality and image of Gruy\u00e8re PDO, and this must in no way be compromised, not even slightly.\u201d <\/p>\n Vera Leysinger \/ SWI swissinfo.ch <\/p>\n SWI: Today, Gruy\u00e8re PDO is produced not only in the Gruy\u00e8re region, but also in other precisely defined parts of Western Switzerland. Could this area be modified?<\/strong><\/p>\n P.B.: Under no circumstances, not even for economic or industrial reasons, whether to increase or reduce supply. The historical roots of the production area are a key asset in guaranteeing the quality and image of Gruy\u00e8re PDO, and this must in no way be compromised, not even slightly. This has also been upheld by the Swiss Federal Court.<\/p>\n SWI: The Gruy\u00e8re PDO sector comprises 1,700 milk producers, 160 cheese dairies, 61 alpine cheesemakers and 11 cheese ripeners. Are newcomers, including large Swiss or foreign groups, allowed to join?<\/strong><\/p>\n P.B.: Our interbranch association is not a closed club. New players can join, provided that they comply with the specificationsExternal link<\/a> and the guideExternal link<\/a> to best practices. It is very important to be strict on this. Without this rigour, we could suffer the same fate as Swiss Emmental, which does not stand out enough in taste from cheaper, foreign Emmental. Production of Swiss Emmental has thus dropped from 45,000 tonnes in the early 2000s to 13,000 tonnes today, and many cheese dairies in our production area have gone over from making Emmental to Gruy\u00e8re PDO. In practical terms, our interbranch organisation checks the capacities of new players, in particular their facilities, and makes sure that any increase in supply comes about gradually.<\/p>\n Some cheese ripeners belong to large Swiss groups such as Emmi and Migros. In theory, these groups could also be foreign, but none of them are at present; and it\u2019s probably better that way, to guarantee the local character of Gruy\u00e8re PDO. I also think these large foreign groups prefer to market already manufactured products, rather than producing them themselves, as this can involve a lot of risks and problems.<\/p>\n![\"Philippe](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SWI_CHE_Philippe_Bardet_014.jpg\")
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