ZURICH, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Switzerland could be close to

winning a respite from the 39% tariffs imposed by the United

States on imports of its goods, newspaper Blick reported on

Sunday, after a visit by business leaders to U.S. President

Donald Trump helped thaw relations.

A letter of intent to break the trade impasse is expected in

the next few weeks, the paper said, without citing sources,

before a deal is presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos

in January.

If everything goes as planned, Trump and next year's Swiss

President Guy Parmelin, who is also economy minister, will

present a plan for U.S. import duties comparable to the 15%

tariffs Washington has already agreed with the European Union,

the paper said.

The Swiss Economic Affairs Ministry declined to comment on

the report, which follows a visit by Swiss business leaders with

Trump on Tuesday.

It said the meeting, with executives from MSC, Rolex,

Partners Group, Mercuria, Richemont and MKS,

was a private initiative that it supported, but that was

independent of its own efforts.

"The Federal Council is fundamentally responsible for

negotiations with the relevant US authorities," the ministry

said in a statement.

"Federal Councillor Parmelin is in regular contact with the

relevant authorities in the US, including U.S. Trade

Representative Jamieson Greer."

During the visit, the Swiss delegation presented Trump with

a Rolex watch for his presidential library and a specially

engraved gold bar, Blick reported.

The guests promised to work towards reducing the U.S. trade

deficit with Switzerland over the next five to seven years, the

paper said.

Other offers included relocating gold smelting operations to

the United States in the next 12 to 24 months, and promoting

infrastructure projects in the U.S.

Pharmaceuticals investments, and increasing Swiss purchases

of aircraft from American manufacturers were also discussed, the

paper said.

Trump showed goodwill to the proposals, Blick said, while on

Friday Greer spoke with Parmelin and Helene Budliger-Artieda

from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in talks

the Swiss side described as "very constructive".