GlossaryEN1 min readUpdated: Aug 11, 2026
Salt monopoly (Salzregal)
An importer wants to bring table salt into Switzerland and discovers that a permit is required – the reason is the salt monopoly.
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Source: Frachtportal News: "Schweizer Zolltarif: TARES wird laufend angepasst – 2028 kommt der grosse Umbau"
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Passar Hub: Everything on the new Swiss customs system
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Definition & Explanation
An importer wants to bring table salt into Switzerland and discovers that a permit is required – the reason is the salt monopoly. The salt monopoly (Salzregal) is Switzerland's historic cantonal monopoly right over the extraction, production, and trade of salt, dating back to the Middle Ages and today exercised through cantonal salt authorities such as Schweizer Salinen AG. In the Swiss customs tariff TARES, the salt monopoly is reflected as a licensing requirement: anyone importing salt commercially needs a separate import permit, independent of standard customs assessment. For freight forwarders and importers, this adds administrative steps to an otherwise unremarkable product category. Not to be confused with ordinary food import permits based on hygiene or health rules – the salt monopoly rests purely on fiscal and monopoly law.
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⚡ Current 2026
Passar Hub: Everything on the new Swiss customs system
Passar replaces E-dec and NCTS. Passar 1.0 (export) is live, Passar 2.0 (import) starts from Q2 2026. Roadmap, ePortal registration, deadlines and FAQ — all on one page.
Passar 1.0Passar 2.0 → Q2 2026Passar 3.0 → Q2 2027
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