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In terms of access, many foreign distributors are present in Switzerland, notably in the form of franchises. Access is not subject to economic needs tests but to relatively stringent environmental and zoning requirements at a local level; 

Zoning/urbanism legislation for distribution services: there is no limitation to market access, as such (for instance: two new retailers, i.e. Aldi and Lidl from Germany have opened large numbers of shops in recent years, while others, like Carrefour from France, have left). Distribution services are mainly regulated at the cantonal and communal level. These regulations deal primarily with land use and environmental aspects (such as the size of parking areas next to the stores, to limit the motorized traffic, including the obligation to receive parking taxes above a certain level of traffic) or in some cases also requirements to locate next to public transportation. Anenvironmental impact study is required for any project above 5,000 m2 or 500 parking spaces. 

Authorization procedure and thresholds applicable to the opening of new supermarkets: cantonal and/or municipal enactments provide an authorization procedure for large-scale distribution facilities that may lead to rejection of an authorization, on a case-by-case basis, based on environmental , zoning, and urban criteria such as traffic, parking spaces, and proximity of bus stops. No economic needs tests or other market access/national treatment restrictions, apply (in the GATS sense) or authorization criteria based on commercial or competitors considerations.

During the period under review, the objective of Mexico's trade policy has been to strengthen and revitalize its export platform to ensure greater diversification of markets and products sold abroad, improve the competitiveness of its production sector, and speed up its integration in global production chains in keeping with its commitment as a strong advocate of green global markets, as well as to provide consumers with a wider range of better options. To achieve this objective, the Government of Mexico has pursued five strategic agendas.

At a time when transparency and accountability are a fundamental issue for public policy and there is also a worldwide concern to ensure that global economic activities are compatible with environmental policies, Mexico has established a wide range of robust and clear public policies and reforms. These have sought to link foreign trade activities with international instruments for the protection of the environment , management and conservation of natural resources , and forecasting of human health impacts, while at the same time promoting the competitiveness on green markets of the various operators involved in global trade.

In the Doha Round negotiations, Mexico has sought to improve its market access conditions in the countries with which it does not have a trade agreement, to rationalize agricultural subsidies, strengthen the dispute settlement system and the disciplines applicable to unfair practices, to adopt measures aimed at eliminating or reducing current obstacles to the proper functioning of global production chains, and to deal with issues of current interest such as the relationship between trade and the environment.

Accordingly, Mexico has been an active participant in the Doha Round negotiations and one of the leading sponsors of proposals to resolve the current stalemate, particularly as regards market access. In an effort to break the 2008 deadlock and to reach some kind of compromise, at an informal meeting in 2011 Mexico submitted a horizontal proposal on market access in agriculture, industrial products, environmental goods, and services - unfortunately, to no avail.

Mexico is convinced that we will get nowhere by protecting our domestic markets: on the contrary, we need to increase our interdependence in order to make the global market more efficient, predictable and sustainable.

On 15 December 2011, the Senate ratified the Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity , which is aimed at fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of geneticresources , and in particular appropriate access to such resources and appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over such resources and technologies. This will contribute, given appropriate financing, to the conservation of biological diversity and sustainable use of its components.

The introduction of foreign, domestic or inward cleared goods into these facilities for a limited time for the purpose of handling, storage, safekeeping, exhibition, sale, distribution, processing, transformation or repair. Goods under this regime are not subject to foreign trade taxes or compensatory duties ("cuotas compensatorias"), except in certain cases, or to compliance with non-tariff regulations or restrictions, except for those concerning animal or plant health, public health, the environment or national security.