Drought has caused record low water levels in the river Rhine with shipping cargo reduced. This is one of the ways oil products reach Switzerland.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Low water levels in the Rhine, as well as logistical problems on European rail lines, are hitting supplies of oil products to Switzerland.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/jc
Español
es
La sequía afecta al suministro de productos petrolíferos en Suiza
Switzerland stocks large quantities of food, medicines and oil to cope with possible shortages. Responsibility rests largely with the private sector, not with the authorities. For example, an importer of petrol will be required by law to store some of it for emergency use. This avoids the need to build up large reserves in one place. In return, Switzerland finances the storage costs of companies through a reserve fund.
More
More
Why Switzerland stockpiles for possible emergencies
This content was published on
Switzerland still stockpiles large quantities of food, medicines and oil. A look at the reasons, and what’s kept on reserve.
Although there are enough supplies of oil products on the international market, supplies are coming in only partially to Switzerland for two reasons, says FONES. First, prolonged drought has caused a record drop in water levels on the Rhine, so shipping cargoes on the river have been drastically reduced. Second, cross-border trains have been hit by big delays and cancellations owing to lack of staff and maintenance work. Oil supplies come in mainly in these two ways.
The last time FONES cut compulsory reserves of oil products was in summer 2018 when drought also reduced shipping capacities on the Rhine.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss watch industry calls for ‘clear solution’ with US
This content was published on
Federation of the Watch Industry calls for clear solution to tariff threat and a swift agreement between Bern and Washington.
Swiss youngsters illegally obtain alcohol in a quarter of test purchases
This content was published on
In a quarter of all alcohol test purchases last year, young people in Switzerland were able to obtain beer, wine or spirits illegally.
Swiss storm damage more frequent and more expensive
This content was published on
Storm damage has increased by 126% in the last ten years. Costs have risen by 133% in the same period, according to Helvetia Insurance.
This content was published on
As unseasonably warm and dry conditions persist, container ships are no longer able to move in and out of Switzerland’s key port on the Rhine.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.