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GENEVA (AP) 鈥� The Swiss president says Switzerland is among 15 countries with which the United States plans to conduct 鈥減rivileged鈥� negotiations to help reach a deal in the wake of sweeping U.S. tariffs on dozens of countries that have shaken global markets.

Karin Keller-Sutter, in an interview with broadcaster SRF published Friday, said she was 鈥渟atisfied鈥� with talks in Washington this week that included an International Monetary Fund conference and her one-on-one meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Keller-Sutter also serves as Switzerland鈥檚 finance minister.

鈥淭he United States has defined a group of 15 countries with which it wants to find … a quick solution in this tariff question. Switzerland is part of this group of these 15 countries,鈥� she told reporters separately late Thursday in Washington.

It was not immediately clear which 14 other countries were included, but she told SRF that 鈥渢he U.S. envisages conducting 鈥� I would say somewhat privileged 鈥� negotiations and finding solutions鈥� with that group.

Before the Trump administration paused some of its most stringent tariff plans, products imported from Switzerland had been set to face tariffs of 31% 鈥� more than the 20% tariffs on goods from the European Union. Switzerland is not a member of the 27-country bloc.

According to figures published by the Swiss Embassy in Washington, the U.S. has been Switzerland鈥檚 most important goods export market worldwide since 2021, while Switzerland is the fourth most important export market for U.S. services. The bilateral trade volume in goods and services between Switzerland and the U.S. reached a total of $185.9 billion in 2023, the embassy says on its website.

Keller-Sutter said a memorandum of understanding was to be drawn up after which negotiations can begin. A document would also lay out the most important topics, and 鈥渨e have also been assigned a specific contact person. This is not easy in the U.S. administration,鈥� she was quoted as saying.

鈥淭he U.S. authorities have clearly expressed their desire to find a solution with Switzerland,鈥� Keller-Sutter told SRF. She said no timetable had been set, but the two sides agreed to move forward quickly 鈥渂ecause uncertainty is poison for the economy.鈥�

Trump鈥檚 sweeping 鈥淟iberation Day鈥� tariffs on April 2 set off turmoil in world stock markets. A week later, Trump spoke by phone with Keller-Sutter in a conversation that her office said focused on tariffs. She emphasized the 鈥渋mportant role of Swiss companies and investments” in the U.S.

Hours later, Trump announced the U-turn that paused the steep new tariffs on about 60 countries for 90 days, fanning speculation 鈥� which was not confirmed 鈥� in some Swiss media that her chat with Trump might have played a role in the change of course.

On Thursday, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, during a trip to Beijing, said the U.S. tariffs have thrust the affected countries into 鈥渁 sort of coalition鈥� to try to reach a deal with the United States. And on Monday, Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche announced plans to invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years 鈥� an unspecified amount of which has already been under way.