Switzerland imports significantly fewer books and magazines
Since 2008, imports of books and magazines into Switzerland have declined by one-third and one-half, respectively. This trend is interrupted each year at the start of the school year, at the beginning of the literary season, and during the Christmas season.
The short-term spike occurs between September and November, writes the Federal Customs Administration in a press release on Tuesday. During these months, import figures soar by up to 20 percent.
However, this will not stop the decline. According to the Customs Administration, imports of books fell by 35% between 2008 and 2018, from CHF 703 million to CHF 454 million. In the same period, a decrease of 46 percent was observed for magazines: from 402 to 219 million francs.
Although the development of exchange rates and falling prices when crossing the border had a positive effect on Swiss imports, the decline in value is largely due to the reduced import volume (books: minus 28 percent, magazines minus 44 percent), writes the customs administration. The reasons for this are thought to be changes in reading habits, the emergence of e-books and online publications.
The two most important suppliers of books and magazines are Germany and France. Italy is one of the three most important suppliers of magazines. When it comes to books, however, the southern neighboring country is only in fourth place behind the UK. China has made a leap forward. In terms of books, the Asian country has moved up from sixth to fifth place, overtaking the USA. (SDA)
