Swissness

Under the stricter Swiss legislation valid from 2017, down and feather bedding produced in Switzerland may still be marked as a Swiss quality product using the Swiss cross or designations such as "Swiss made".

As of 1/1/2017, new Swiss legislation applies which clearly establishes which products may bear the Swiss cross and/or designations such as "Made in Switzerland" or "Swiss made", both domestically and abroad. One core requirement for such markings is that 60 percent of the manufacturing costs and/or value creation must take place in Switzerland.

Exception for Swiss bedding

Since important raw materials such as down, feathers and wool are not produced in Switzerland, at least not in anything near sufficient quantities (see overview below), their share of the bedding manufacturing costs by value may be deducted from the calculation. This regulation, which also applies to other productive industries, allows Swiss bedding factories to continue to mark their down and feather bedding produced in Switzerland as Swiss Quality products.

Explanation of the exemption

Below is a list of materials which under Art. 48c para. 3 a and b MSchG (Swiss Trade Mark Protection Act, TmPA) are not produced, or not produced in sufficient quantities, in Switzerland and whose share by value may therefore be deducted from the calculation of value creation in Switzerland.

The following raw materials required for the production of downproof, breathable products cannot be produced in Switzerland due to natural circumstances:

• wool
• cotton mixes

The following raw materials are not available to the down and feather bedding industry in Switzerland in sufficient quantities from domestic production (availability of raw materials from Swiss production measured against demand from the Swiss bedding industry, stated in %):

• goose down and feathers (less than 2% available)
• duck down and feathers (less than 2% available)
• silk (less than 1% available)
• synthetics (0% available)
• viscose (0% available)
• Tencel (Lyocell) (0% available)

The aforementioned raw materials make up 50 percent of the created value of the bedding. The 50 percent of value creation required for the Swissness designation is therefore calculated on the basis of the remaining 50 percent of manufacturing costs.