Warren: Is Rolex Currying Favor with Trump in Effort to End Tariffs on Luxury Swiss Watches?
Rolex invited Trump to U.S. Open just weeks after his administration announced steep tariffs on Swiss goods—including Rolex watches
“[These actions] raises questions about whether you are cultivating a relationship with President Trump in attempts to secure lucrative tariff exemptions for Rolex products.”
Washington, D.C. — In a new letter, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour on why the company invited President Trump to be Rolex’s guest at the finals of the U.S. Open Tennis Championship earlier this month — just weeks after President Trump announced 39 percent tariffs on Swiss imports.
Since first announcing tariffs in April, President Trump has made clear that, for the right price, corporations can secure lucrative exemptions from his tariffs and trade rules. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, received a tariff exemption, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang ostensibly secured permission to export the company’s latest chips after purchasing a $1 million table at Mar-A-Lago.
On August 7, the Trump Administration levied a 39 percent tariff on Swiss imports—which is nearly 2.5 times the rate imposed on nearby European Union countries. Just weeks after the tariff went into effect, Rolex invited President Trump to attend the U.S. Open Tennis Championship.
“Given the President’s record of doling out special treatment to CEOs who are able to woo him with flattery, payoffs, or both, the timing of his attendance at the match in the Rolex box is concerning,” the Senator wrote. “I have questions about whether you are attempting to curry favor with the President in an effort to secure special-interest exemptions for Rolex products.”
Senator Warren pressed for answers by October 8, 2025 about the decision to invite President Trump, Rolex’s communication with the administration before, during, and after the event, how much Rolex expects to pay in tariffs if they do not receive an exemption, and how that sum will affect their profits.
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