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.
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Why Switzerland stockpiles for possible emergencies
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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.
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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.
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