By Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. trade officials met with representatives from Switzerland this week and are having discussions with trade officials from Mexico, Central America and others in the Western Hemisphere, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday.
Greer told Fox Business Network's "Mornings with Maria" that a potential deal with Switzerland could boost manufacturing in the United States, noting that Swiss companies were "quite eager" to invest in sectors such as
pharmaceuticals, aircraft, aircraft parts and even gold smelting.
"So we're in close conversations with the Swiss," he said, noting that he had met with a delegation of Swiss companies that had met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Greer said discussions with Switzerland had been ongoing for several weeks.
The group included executives from shipping company MSC, watchmaker Rolex, investment firm Partners Group, commodities trader Mercuria, Cartier-owner Richemont and precious metals firm MKS.
Switzerland has been scrambling to secure a trade agreement with Trump that could reduce the 39% tariff rate that he slapped on Swiss imports in August, among the highest duties levied in his global trade reset.
Greer said he was also having discussions with trading partners in the Western Hemisphere including in Central America as well as Mexico, adding that Trump's trade strategy was continuing to take shape.
"You saw it last week in Asia as he struck deals with a number of Southeast Asian countries and East Asian countries. You'll see it again this month in the Western Hemisphere and elsewhere," he said, without providing any further details.
Greer's office on Thursday changed the dates of a hearing on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement to December 3-5 from the initial date of November 17.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Susan Heavey; Editing by Ros Russell and Andrea Ricci )
