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RAPAPORT... The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) voted to resign from economiesuisse, or the Swiss Business Federation, at the end of 2013. FH's board expressed its discontent with economiesuisse's performance in strengthening the protection of Swiss-made products. FH claimed that economiesuisse failed to support the Federal Council’s proposal for industrial products, which sets a 60 percent minimum rate of Swiss value in a Swiss product. FH maintained that while it remains open to dialog with economiesuisse, it was in the best interest of the Swiss watch industry to mitigate the strongest level of "Swiss" branding in order to maintain global credibility. ''The watch industry is certainly the industrial sector most affected by this subject, considering that nearly 100 percent of its products carry the label. The latter contributes to the attractiveness of Swiss watches and their psychological appeal. Strengthening of the Swiss made label generally promotes industrial activity in Switzerland and job creation,'' according to FH.
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