https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The EU will charge an extra €2 "processing fee" on parcels imported into the European Union from Sunday November 1st in a bid to reduce the influx of cheap Chinese products bought on the internet. The fee is on top of the recent €3 EU tax added on "small parcels". https://www.thelocal.ch/20261030/eu-to-slap-new-e2-fee-on-online-shopping-orders-from-outside-europe Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:00:21 +0100 eu-to-slap-new-e2-fee-on-online-shopping-orders-from-outside-europe Starting on July 1st, the European Union will impose a €3 duty on small parcels valued at less than €150 entering the 27-nation bloc. Will Switzerland be affected by this measure as well? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260701/will-the-eus-new-customs-fee-on-small-packages-affect-switzerland Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:40:16 +0200 will-the-eus-new-customs-fee-on-small-packages-affect-switzerland A landmark agreement has been reached by the European Parliament and Council on the reform of EU rules around customs that include new measures to tackle e-commerce from non-EU countries. What will it mean for consumers? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260402/shein-temu-why-european-consumers-will-pay-more-for-cheap-online-orders Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:38:55 +0200 shein-temu-why-european-consumers-will-pay-more-for-cheap-online-orders Swiss Post is (mostly) efficient and punctual with mail deliveries, but if you want your letters and packages to get to their destinations for Christmas, don’t procrastinate. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251202/what-are-the-swiss-deadlines-for-sending-christmas-post-this-year Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:24:13 +0100 what-are-the-swiss-deadlines-for-sending-christmas-post-this-year A week after the Swiss Post announced that it would stop sending parcels to the United States, certain shipments are again possible. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250903/swiss-post-resumes-shipments-of-some-packages-to-the-us Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:33:40 +0200 swiss-post-resumes-shipments-of-some-packages-to-the-us Swiss Post, like the postal services of several European countries, has announced it will stop shipping parcels to the US for the foreseeable future. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250825/why-swiss-post-has-stopped-shipping-goods-to-the-us Mon, 25 Aug 2025 17:09:59 +0200 why-swiss-post-has-stopped-shipping-goods-to-the-us Most people use Switzerland’s postal service to mail or receive letters and packages. But did you know it offers other services as well? https://www.thelocal.ch/20240307/11-things-you-can-do-at-a-swiss-post-office-other-than-buy-stamps Thu, 07 Mar 2024 16:03:57 +0100 11-things-you-can-do-at-a-swiss-post-office-other-than-buy-stamps In case you haven’t looked at your calendar lately, Christmas is nearly here (yes, already). If you have any letters or parcels to send out, don’t procrastinate. https://www.thelocal.ch/20241202/the-swiss-deadlines-you-need-to-know-for-sending-christmas-post Mon, 02 Dec 2024 16:01:01 +0100 the-swiss-deadlines-you-need-to-know-for-sending-christmas-post Switzerland’s postal service is reputed for being reliable and efficient. But could imminent closures of many of its branches cut services that customers depend on? https://www.thelocal.ch/20240603/what-swiss-post-office-closures-means-for-residents-around-switzerland Mon, 03 Jun 2024 15:59:42 +0200 what-swiss-post-office-closures-means-for-residents-around-switzerland Switzerland’s postal service has outlined its mailing deadlines for Christmas to help customers get their letters and parcels to friends and loved ones in time for the holidays. https://www.thelocal.ch/20231124/what-are-the-christmas-deadlines-in-switzerland-for-posting-letters-and-parcels Fri, 24 Nov 2023 12:26:21 +0100 what-are-the-christmas-deadlines-in-switzerland-for-posting-letters-and-parcels Election flyers and political pamphlets are being delivered to all Swiss households, even those who expressly signal that they don't want to receive any marketing mail, earning the Swiss postal service millions. https://www.thelocal.ch/20231008/swiss-postal-service-earns-millions-by-ignoring-no-junk-mail-signs Sun, 08 Oct 2023 22:43:18 +0200 swiss-postal-service-earns-millions-by-ignoring-no-junk-mail-signs Switzerland's state-owned postal service Swiss Post has been criticised by consumers for running campaigns designed to boost the number of people agreeing to receive junk mail. https://www.thelocal.ch/20190402/swiss-post-under-fire-over-hidden-junk-mail-campaigns-advertising-public-services Tue, 02 Apr 2019 12:35:17 +0200 swiss-post-under-fire-over-hidden-junk-mail-campaigns-advertising-public-services Police divers have retrieved a drone that fell into Lake Zurich on Friday while carrying blood samples from a clinic to a laboratory as part of a test project. https://www.thelocal.ch/20190128/police-recover-swiss-post-drone-that-crashed-into-lake-zurich Mon, 28 Jan 2019 20:03:56 +0100 police-recover-swiss-post-drone-that-crashed-into-lake-zurich The Swiss postal service is to pilot a drone delivery service to shuttle laboratory samples between two hospitals in the canton of Ticino. https://www.thelocal.ch/20170314/swiss-post-trials-drone-deliveries-between-hospitals Tue, 14 Mar 2017 12:48:22 +0100 swiss-post-trials-drone-deliveries-between-hospitals The Swiss post office is launching a new campaign to persuade householders to accept junk mail – by promising them free samples. https://www.thelocal.ch/20161014/swiss-post-bribes-junk-mail-haters-with-free-muesli Fri, 14 Oct 2016 14:17:01 +0200 swiss-post-bribes-junk-mail-haters-with-free-muesli Robots will be seen on the streets of the Swiss capital next month as Swiss Post signs up to trial parcel delivery by post-bot. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160823/swiss-post-trials-robot-parcel-deliveries-in-bern Tue, 23 Aug 2016 15:00:36 +0200 swiss-post-trials-robot-parcel-deliveries-in-bern The Swiss post office has released a special stamp to mark the achievement of the Swiss pilots who became the first to fly around the world on a solar-powered plane. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160727/swiss-post-gives-stamp-of-approval-to-solar-impulse Wed, 27 Jul 2016 14:17:40 +0200 swiss-post-gives-stamp-of-approval-to-solar-impulse The Swiss post office is gearing up to accept debit cards for the first time in a pilot project rolled out over the next few months. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160721/swiss-post-moves-to-accept-debit-cards-sometimes Thu, 21 Jul 2016 15:01:54 +0200 swiss-post-moves-to-accept-debit-cards-sometimes Swiss publishers and bookshops are unable to compete with foreign booksellers because the Swiss federal post office, Swiss Post, charges so much for postage, publishers have said. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160418/booksellers-bear-burden-of-high-swiss-postage-costs Mon, 18 Apr 2016 14:37:12 +0200 booksellers-bear-burden-of-high-swiss-postage-costs Swiss Post is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of Switzerland’s first woman doctor with a special stamp. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160204/swiss-post-salutes-countrys-first-female-doc Thu, 04 Feb 2016 12:32:35 +0100 swiss-post-salutes-countrys-first-female-doc