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Guide
Swiss Made or Designed in Switzerland: what Swiss labels really mean
On a silk square, “Swiss” can mean very different things: a product made in Switzerland, a design created in Switzerland, a company based in Switzerland, or simply a well-placed cross. Swiss law tells them apart precisely. Here is how to read a label, and why MINERINO writes “Designed in Switzerland” and never “Swiss Made”.
“Swiss Made”: the making itself
In law, a silk square is an industrial product. To carry “Swiss Made”, “Made in Switzerland” or “Swiss”, it must meet three conditions of the Trade Mark Protection Act (art. 48c TmPA): at least 60% of its manufacturing costs incurred in Switzerland, the activity that gives it its essential characteristics carried out in Switzerland, and an essential manufacturing step performed in Switzerland.
Those manufacturing costs cover only research and development, materials and production, quality assurance included. The ordinance is explicit: costs incurred after the production process do not count (art. 52e TmPO). Marketing, distributing or shipping a square that has already been printed does not make it any more Swiss.
Raw materials that Switzerland does not produce are left out of the calculation, and those it does not produce in sufficient quantity count only to the extent they are available there. For silk, which Switzerland produces only in tiny quantities, everything is therefore decided elsewhere: where the square is designed, printed and finished.
“Designed in Switzerland”: one step, carried out in full
The law allows a brand to highlight one specific manufacturing step, on a strict condition: that step must be carried out entirely in Switzerland. The IPI itself gives the example of furniture “Designed in Switzerland”. The label says where the design was born; it says nothing about where the product was made.
The IPI adds a rule of form: the word “Swiss” must not be displayed more prominently than the rest of the label, whether by colour, size or typeface (IPI FAQ).
The Swiss cross: the rule clarified in March 2026
Since the revision of the Coat of Arms Protection Act, the Swiss cross may appear on Swiss products. Next to a label such as “Swiss Engineering”, it is understood as a statement about the origin of the whole product: it is therefore prohibited if the product does not meet the Swiss Made criteria.
On 23 March 2026, the IPI clarified an exception: the cross is allowed if it is placed exactly between the two words, between “Swiss” and “Engineering” for instance, and if its side is no longer than the height of the letters. The clarification came amid the debate opened by the Zurich brand On, whose shoes are made in Asia. Industry ordinances, such as the one for watches, take precedence over this exception.
The rule remains contested. In September 2026, the Council of States adopted, by 32 votes to 5, a motion by Councillor of States Fabio Regazzi calling for this practice to be reversed (Le Temps). The National Council has yet to vote.
Reading a label in thirty seconds
| Label | What it guarantees | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss Made, Made in Switzerland, Swiss | 60% of manufacturing costs in Switzerland and an essential manufacturing step carried out in Switzerland | Where the raw silk comes from |
| Designed in Switzerland, Swiss Design | A design created entirely in Switzerland | The country of printing and finishing |
| Swiss cross alone, clearly visible | A promise about the whole product, bound by the Swiss Made criteria | Without Swiss manufacturing, it is misleading |
| Swiss ✚ Design, cross between the words | The design created in Switzerland (IPI exception of 23 March 2026) | Where the product was made |
| Swiss house, Swiss company | A registered office and actual administration in Switzerland | The origin of the product |
The MINERINO case
Our squares are imagined and designed in Switzerland. They are printed in Italy, on a silk chosen for its drape and its hand. Printing is the step that gives a square its essential characteristics: since it takes place outside Switzerland, “Swiss Made” is closed to us, however long we spend on the design.
So we write “Designed in Switzerland”, which is accurate, and every product page states the country of printing. The house itself is Swiss: MINERINO is operated by Saviano Sàrl, in Lancy (Geneva), and orders for Switzerland are prepared and shipped from Switzerland.
Sources
- IPI, The new Swissness legislation: the most important changes, updated on 23 March 2026.
- Federal Act on the Protection of Trade Marks and Indications of Source, art. 48c.
- Ordinance on the Protection of Trade Marks and Indications of Source, art. 52e.
- IPI, FAQ on indications of source.
- Le Temps, “Après l'affaire On, le Conseil des États veut mieux protéger la croix suisse”, 2026.
