11.   Armed with relatively strong British pounds, Swiss francs and German marks, European buyers sent thousands of European cars back across the Atlantic to their ancestral homes.

12.   A couple of weeks ago, the Swiss electorate voted to begin untying the Swiss franc from its gold backing.

13.   A strengthening dollar tends to boost exporters because it increases their earnings in Swiss francs from revenue generated abroad.

14.   A weaker Swiss franc also helped.

15.   A strengthening dollar means exporters get more Swiss francs for their overseas revenue.

16.   A strong Swiss franc eroded earnings.

17.   A third possibility, Gehrig said, would be to set a target rate for the Swiss franc.

18.   A weaker dollar hurts exporters by cutting the Swiss franc value of revenue earned abroad.

19.   A weaker dollar means fewer Swiss francs and German marks when export earnings are brought home.

20.   A weakening Swiss franc is also seen boosting exports.