The chemical and pharmaceutical industry ranks as number 1 measured as share of total Swiss exports; measured as net export (2011: 37.2 bn CHF) aswell it is Switzerland's most important sector, followed by the watch industry (2011: 16.3 bn CHF) and the engineering industry (2011: -5.6 mio CHF).

The exports of the chemical- and pharmaceutical industry have to be seen in the context of the companies' internal international networks: more than three quarters of their exports are supplies to subsidiaries. Part of these supplies are intermediates to affiliated companies which process them into finished products. This two-stage procedure enables the companies to benefit from economies of scale in the chemical synthesis of ingredients and on the other hand to optimally adapt the products to local conditions and regulations.