Switzerland News

The union representing 45,000 dock workers on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts and their employers on Wednesday said they reached a tentative deal on a new six-year contract, averting further strikes that could have snarled supply chains and taken a toll on the U.S. economy.The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group, in a joint statement, called the agreement a "win-win." The deal includes a resolution in automation…

Contract talks covering 45,000 dockworkers on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts are set to restart on Tuesday in a labor dispute that will help set the pace of automation at ports stretching from Maine to Texas.The International Longshoremen's Association wants to eliminate past labor contract concessions on automation - notably the use of semi-automated cranes that stack containers on docks - arguing they pose a threat to jobs.The United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group…

The World Shipping Council (WSC) Board of Directors has elected Soren Toft, CEO of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, as the new Chair of the World Shipping Council Board.“It is an honor to step into the role of Chair for the World Shipping Council and to represent the global liner shipping industry alongside our members. WSC is today a respected voice of liner shipping, engaging with governments and organizations globally,” said Toft.“An ever-changing world presents both challenges and opportunities for our industry as we head into the future…

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to back the anti-automation stance of some 45,000 union dockworkers on the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, whose labor talks are at an impasse over that polarizing issue.The ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) employer group are facing a Jan. 15 deadline to finalize talks, which stalled over automation. That cutoff comes just five days before Trump's inauguration.The ILA says automation kills jobs while employers say it is necessary to keep U.S.

Reaffirming its dedication to upholding the labor and human rights of seafarers, Panama assumed the role of Vice Chair and governmental spokesperson during the Third Meeting of the Joint Tripartite Working Group of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).The meeting, held at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, focused on adopting international guidelines to ensure the fair treatment of seafarers detained or suspected of committing crimes…

The third meeting of the Joint ILO–IMO Tripartite Working Group to identify and address seafarers’ issues and the human element met in Geneva, Switzerland, between November 26–28 and adopted Guidelines on Fair Treatment of Seafarers detained in connection with alleged crimes.The objective of the Guidelines is to ensure that the human rights and legitimate interests of seafarers involved in alleged crimes are recognized, that seafarers detained in connection with alleged crimes are treated fairly by public authorities…

Container shipping companies like Maersk, CMA CGM and COSCO have ordered hundreds of new vessels in recent years meant to help their industry slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet rising demand from customers and regulators around the globe.Their order books, however, reflect uncertainty over which of a wide array of so-called green fuels will become the standard in the decades to come, and whether supplies will be cheap and abundant enough to keep their fleets in motion.Decarbonizing…

Shares in shipping companies fell heavily in Europe and Asia on Friday after workers and U.S. port operators agreed a deal to end a strike on the East and Gulf coast docks far sooner than expected.In early trading in Europe, shipping group A.P.

U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast ports began reopening late on Thursday after dockworkers and port operators reached a wage deal to settle the industry's biggest work stoppage in nearly half a century, but clearing the cargo backlog will take time.The strike ended sooner than investors had expected, weakening shipping stocks across Asia on Friday as freight rates were no longer expected to surge.At least 54 container ships queued outside the ports as the strike had prevented unloading and threatened shortages of anything from bananas to auto parts.

Italy police said on Wednesday they had arrested 61 people across four countries and seized 60 million euros ($67.1 million) following an investigation into international drugs trafficking and money laundering.The case had revealed criminal drugs ties between Albania and Latin America, and once again showed how criminals in Europe are using shadow networks of illicit Chinese money brokers, police said.Finance police in the northern city of Brescia said 400 officers had carried out the arrests and searches in Italy, Albania, Switzerland and Poland, with the cooperation of local law enforcement

As the shipowners stare down decarbonization mandates that grow increasingly strict through 2050, the engine makers are at the tip of the spear of this energy transition phenomena, working to design and build engines and components that are built to operate on a long and growing list of alternative fuels. We recently visited with Dr. Gunnar Stiesch, CTO, MAN Energy Solutions, to take a look inside the research and development process at this global power leader, for insights on ‘what’s next’ in ship propulsion.Dr.

The river Rhine in south Germany reopened to cargo shipping on Friday after being closed by high water since the weekend, navigation authorities said.Falling water levels after dryer weather this week mean Rhine river shipping has re-started around Maxau in south Germany, the German inland waterways navigation agency said. This means sailings to Switzerland are again possible.The river had been closed to freight shipping at Maxau over the weekend after heavy rain caused extensive flooding in south Germany.Shipping on northern sections of the river had been operating normally this week…

Parts of the river Rhine in southern Germany were closed to cargo shipping on Monday after heavy rains raised water levels, navigation authorities said.Rhine river shipping stopped around Maxau and Mannheim in south Germany, the German inland waterways navigation agency WSA said.The high levels of water leave vessels insufficient overhead space to sail under bridges, and prevents vessels sailing to Switzerland.Shipping on northern sections of the river is operating normally, including the important points of Duisburg and Cologne.The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities includin

A global maritime court found on Tuesday that greenhouse gases constitute marine pollution, a major breakthrough for small island states threatened by the rise in sea levels caused by global warming.In its first climate-related judgment, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea said emissions from fossil fuels and other planet-warming gases that are absorbed by the oceans count as marine pollution.Its ruling - an "advisory opinion" that should nevertheless provide a precedent…

Greece has dropped criminal charges against dozens of international aid workers, ranging from spying to facilitating what authorities had called illegal entry into the country through the island of Lesbos, court documents showed on Tuesday.Most of the 35 people, accused in 2020 of setting up a criminal organization and providing support to traffickers ferrying migrants, were German nationals. The rest included people from Norway, Austria, France, Spain, Switzerland and Bulgaria.

A resolution to end a dispute between Peru and China's Cosco Shipping could come as soon as this week to ensure a megaport will start operations as planned by the end of the year, Peru's Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen said on Thursday.The Peruvian port authority said in Marchit hoped to annul its decision granting exclusivity of the port's operations to Cosco, citing an "administrative error."Cosco, which is investing $1.3 billion in the first stage of the terminal, has said the push affects the "security and legal stability of investments."On Thursday…

As dusk descends upon our nation's ports, casting shadows over the waterfront, another shadow looms in the digital landscape — the threat of cyber warfare. In an era where connectivity reigns supreme, our maritime infrastructure stands at a critical juncture, balancing vulnerability and resilience. The recent White House announcement of a Presidential Executive Order, and a hefty $20 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding proposal to fortify our ports, underscores the gravity of the situation.It is a fact that at this time China has manufactured 80% of our nation’s ship-to-shore cranes…

Nord Stream is seeking more than 400 million euros ($436 million) from its insurers over explosions in 2022 which ruptured pipelines designed to transport Russian gas to Germany, court filings show.Nord Stream AG names Lloyd's Insurance Company and Arch Insurance (EU) DAC as defendants in its lawsuit, which was filed at London's High Court last month.Switzerland-based Nord Stream confirmed in an email there is a contractual dispute in London commercial courts between itself and insurers of the pipeline system."However…

EH Group said its EH Fuel Cell System TRACE-M250, designed for high power and maritime applications, has been awarded approval in principle (AIP) following an assessment by classification society DNV to confirm that the fuel cell design meets all the applicable maritime rules, regulations, codes and standards.Based on EH Group’s stack technology, the 250kW EH TRACE-M250 module is designed to improve efficiency and safety, in a more compact and lightweight module, the Switzerland-based manufacturer said…

Container ship MSC Sky II was continuing its voyage to Djibouti on Tuesday after being hit by a missile a day earlier near Yemen's port city of Aden, its operator MSC said.MSC Sky II was hit by a missile about 85 miles southeast of Aden and 170 miles east-southeast of the Bab al-Mandab Strait while it was sailing from Singapore to Djibouti, the Swiss-headquartered MSC said in a statement."The missile caused a small fire that has been extinguished while no crew were injured. She is currently continuing her journey to Djibouti and will arrive today for further assessment…

Disruptions to Red Sea shipping caused by Houthi attacks will push up prices of consumer goods, an executive from port and freight operator DP World said on Tuesday as a missile struck another vessel in the region.The Iran-allied Houthi militia has threatened to expand its attacks to include U.S. ships in response to American and British strikes on its sites in Yemen.Attacks by the Houthis on ships in the region since November have impacted companies and alarmed major powers - an escalation of Israel's more than three-month-old war with Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.

Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has signed a time charter contract for the ammonia carrier Green Pioneer with Yara Clean Ammonia Switzerland, a group company of Yara International.The vessel was delivered on December 25,2023 and is expected to be engaged in the transportation of ammonia, mainly in the Pacific region.Ammonia is now mainly used as a raw material for fertilizers, but it is expected to see a significant increase in demand in the future as a next-generation clean energy that does not emit carbon dioxide when burned…

Toymaker Basic Fun's team that oversees ocean shipments of Tonka trucks and Care Bears for Walmart and other retailers is racing to reroute cargo away from the Suez Canal following militant attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.Suppliers for the likes of IKEA, Home Depot, Amazon and retailers around the world are doing the same as businesses grapple with the biggest shipping upheaval since the COVID-19 pandemic threw global supply chains into disarray, sources in the logistics industry said.Florida-based Basic Fun usually ships all Europe-bound toys from its China factories via the Suez Canal…