Gasoline shortages in Mexico sparked by a crackdown on fuel theft prompted warnings from business leaders that industries like car making will suffer if the shortfalls persist as lines at gas stations in the capital grew during the week.
Venezuela this month plans to import over 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of refined products to ease domestic fuel shortages caused by hobbled refineries and need to prioritize exports, according to internal documents, reports Reuters.
The French government's decision to suspend fuel tax and utility hikes on Tuesday did little to appease protesters, who called the move a “first step” and vowed to fight on after large-scale rioting in Paris last weekend.
A court in Marseille fined an American master mariner US$ 110,000 for using fuel with a sulfur content measuring 0.18 percentage points above a disputed limit. It is the first ruling of its kind in France, and it is contrary to the French government's previous stance on sulfur content rules for cruise ships.
Brazil is studying the removal of a 20% tariff on ethanol imports from the United States, Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi said on Wednesday, in a decision that could depend on Washington lifting a ban on fresh beef exports from Brazil. Last year, Brazil imposed a 20% tax on ethanol imported from the U.S. that exceeds a 600 million liter annual quota to protect local producers as imports spiked.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) agreed on Friday on energy efficiency design standards for new ships to cut greenhouse gas emissions, but developing countries will probably delay implementation by using a waiver, delegates said.
British holidaymakers wanting to go on a cruise are going to have to shortly pay more as UK based operators announced they are set to begin charging fuel supplements.
The Antarctica season beginning in November is likely to be the last one as it has been known. Proposed changes to the type of fuel ships are allowed to burn and carry in this fragile ecosystem have now become a reality, making the future of big cruise ships in Antarctica uncertain.