The Rhine Ports and Logistics — conclusion

Conclusion

The Rhine ports connect landlocked Switzerland with the seaports of the North Sea and form a trimodal hub in which ship, rail and road meet. Their legal framework combines the oldest international regime of river navigation, the Mannheim Act of 1868 and the Central Commission in Strasbourg, with modern European standards for crews, vessels and dangerous goods, Swiss customs law and the private law of carriage, forwarding and warehousing. The ports serve the security of supply, especially for mineral oil, while supporting a logistics industry whose companies, from Danzas to Panalpina, have shaped the international forwarding business. Low water, the losses from federal guarantees for the high seas fleet, the disputes over Gateway Basel Nord and the competition between port and city show that the river is also a source of risk and conflict.

The recovery of the Rhine after Schweizerhalle demonstrates how international cooperation and regulation can restore a damaged river and how environmental liability shapes the behaviour of industry. The ports are only one dimension of the trinational economy, however. Every day, tens of thousands of workers cross the borders around Basel by train, tram, car and bicycle, while the EuroAirport operates under a treaty that places a Swiss and a French sector on the same runway. Chapter II turns to these cross-border workers, the taxation of their income and the binational airport.

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of August 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

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The Rhine Ports and Logistics — conclusion

Conclusion

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