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ENERGY

Swiss drivers fuel a cross-border rift with France

As petrol is cheaper in France than in Switzerland at the moment, many Geneva residents cross the border to fuel up their cars. However France's cheaper prices are ultimately funded by the French taxpayer, and some French officials are none too happy about this 'pump tourism'.

Published: 16 August 2022 11:52 CEST
Swiss drivers fuel a cross-border rift with France
Swiss motorists are fuelling up their cars at French pumps. Image by IADE-Michoko from Pixabay

Geneva area residents have been shopping in nearby France for years, as most goods are cheaper on the other side of the border.

It is not unusual to see cars with Geneva and Vaud registration plates in parking lots of French supermarkets, and this practice, known as ‘shopping tourism’, has been boosting the economies of border regions for decades.

Lately, however, ‘shopping tourism’ has spawned off a new phenomenon dubbed ‘pump tourism’, as an increasing number of cars from Switzerland fill up at French petrol stations with cheaper petrol/gasoline or diesel.

A litre of fuel in Geneva now costs 2.20 francs, while the price is €1.80 just across the border. Given the exceptionally strong franc and favourable (for the Swiss) exchange rate — €1.04 for 1 franc — buying a full tank of gasoline in Haute-Savoie makes financial sense.

READ MORE: Petrol to top CHF2 per litre in several Swiss cantons

But the cheaper pump prices in France are the result of the government fuel rebate of 18 cents per litre – as this is ultimately funded by the French taxpayer, some of the French are none too happy about Swiss motorists benefiting.

Loïc Hervé, a senator from Haute-Savoie, suggested that the Swiss are taking advantage of French state aid on the price of fuel in France.

“We absolutely have to give priority to French people.  We should not be helping out the rich, the Swiss, and foreign tourists. It’s as simple as that”, Hervé, told Tribune de Genève in an interview.

Geneva State Councilor Mauro Poggia swiftly responded to Hervé’s comments, pointing out that cross-border workers from France have been benefiting for years from perks offered by Swiss employers, such as higher salaries.

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Who can work in Switzerland but live in a neighbouring country?

“And let’s not forget that the French also fill up their cars in Geneva before returning home, and it hasn’t bothered anyone”, he said.

In fact, before Russia invaded Ukraine in February, unleaded gas was less expensive in Switzerland than in France.

The reason this is no longer the case is that France, along with Switzerland’s other neighbours, Germany, Italy, and Austria, have put in place a fuel rebate on petrol and diesel – at present this is 18 cents per litre, but it will rise to 30 cents per litre in September.

The Swiss government was considering a similar tax cut as well, but the Council of States rejected this proposal in June amid concerns about how to compensate for the lost revenue. 

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MONEY

Is it better for consumers in Switzerland if the Swiss franc is strong or weak?

Although Switzerland’s currency has weakened slightly against the euro in recent weeks, it remains strong. Is it good or bad news for consumers?

Published: 22 April 2024 15:42 CEST
Is it better for consumers in Switzerland if the Swiss franc is strong or weak?

Generally speaking, when a country’s currency is strong — as the franc is right now  against both the euro and dollar — consumers benefit on several fronts.

The main reason is that they will get more bang out of their francs, especially in these situations:

Imported goods

Since the exchange rates between the Swiss and foreign currencies are in franc’s favour, any merchandise that comes from abroad will, in principle, be cheaper.

If you go shopping in a supermarket and find, for instance, that the price of Swiss eggs hasn’t budged (and certainly not downward), you will have more luck with eggs imported from Germany or France.

However, while you may see some savings when purchasing foreign goods, this may not be a huge amount.

The reason, according to Moneyland consumer platform, is that “Swiss importers are not obligated to pass on extra profits earned on exchange rates to customers – and many of them don’t reduce prices at all.” 

Cross-border ‘shopping tourism’

Most products are cheaper — and sometimes by much — in other countries.

Even though inflation rates are higher abroad than they are in Switzerland, as is the Value-Added Tax, the franc’s power means it is still worth your while to buy your groceries in France, Italy, Germany, and other eurozone countries as well.

That, however, doesn’t mean that all products are cheaper abroad – it all depends on the specific goods and services in question.

For example, in general, electronics have lower price tags in Switzerland than in the EU countries.

READ ALSO: The one product that is cheaper in Switzerland 

Foreign vacations

With the franc stronger than the euro and US dollar, you can definitely benefit from travel abroad.

Whether just for a long weekend or full-scale holidays, you will be able to get more out of your money in many foreign countries, at least in terms of accommodations and food, than you would for the same amount of money in Switzerland.

Keep in mind, however, that the strong franc will not compensate for the cost of getting there and back, as the prices for airplane tickets, train travel, and petrol remain high.

All that is good, but is there a flipside as well?

The biggest ‘negative’ of the strong franc is that export-based companies suffer, because the goods they sell are too expensive abroad.

You may argue that this affects economy as a whole rather than individual consumers, and you’d be right — but only up to a point.

That’s because whatever happens in the economy at large will eventually trickle down to, and affect, the population, along with consumer confidence and spending habits.

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