Swiss industrial companies fear higher tariffs they face on exports to the United States are putting them at a major disadvantage against European rivals who are exposed to lower import charges, a survey said on Monday. The U.S. has imposed a tariff rate of 12.5% on Swiss goods since the end of July, 2.5 percentage points higher than the duty applied to products from the European Union. A U.S. investigation into industrial overcapacity could result in an even higher tariff rate, further widening the differential with the EU, industry association Swissmem said. "What worries me, aside from the 2.5 percentage point tariff difference compared to the EU, is that the U.S. government is keeping tensions high," said Swissmem chairman Martin Hirzel.