By Dr. Jörg Häseler, Chefredakteur Sweets Processing

Meteorologically speaking, autumn has now begun. Looking at politics and the economy, it is enough to make your heart sink, as the confectionery industry is currently caught between two conflicting forces: On the one hand, demand for confectionery as an affordable luxury is flourishing a ‘lipstick effect’ that is holding up even under economic pressure. On the other hand, however, protective measures and geopolitical uncertainties are acting as a brake.

The US customs policy in particular is currently a huge obstacle. President Trump has imposed extensive reciprocal tariffs: Since the beginning of this year, the average customs duty has risen from around 2.5% to around 27%, and currently stands at around 18.3%. A general import duty of 10% has been in place for confectionery since April 2025, with EU products subject to up to 20% and Swiss delicatessen products subject to up to 31%. The stakes are particularly high for Switzerland. This is especially hard on chocolate manufacturers: Raw cocoa imports have become expensive due to tariffs and global shortages, forcing companies such as Hershey in the USA to shoulder hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs.

At the same time, brands are demonstrating that reshoring or friend shoring can prove effective as an adaptation strategy in response to unstable global customs policy. At the same time, cocoa prices have risen dramatically: After standing at around 2,500 USD/t in 2023, they rose to over 10,500 USD/t by June and later even to over 11,500 USD/t a burden that continues to weigh heavily. Some are therefore already thinking about the new year and the highlights that lie ahead: ISM/ProSweets and interpack. So let's look forward to 2026 with optimism. I appreciate to exchange ideas with you regardless of the event.•