ZHENG HE

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Dredger detained since 10 months

When the ' Zheng He' was to set course from the Bahamas to the port of Tampico with the focus on changing crew, refueling and maintenance, Mexico had doubts about this and said that it was a customs matter. The ship was also said not to be able to present the correct documents. That is why Mexico considered the 'Zheng He' as an imported good and demands import costs.of 96 million Euros, the value of the ship. De Nul – and Luxembourg – did not agree with this. They have refused to pay the fine for 10 months. There are 36 crew members on that ship who are not allowed to disembark. Legal steps have already been taken and they indicated that Mexico must release the ship - and especially the crew. Luxembourg brought the case before the Mexican court and it was decided that Mexico was wrong. Nevertheless, Mexico is not releasing the ship. That is why Luxembourg went to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg in June 2024. However, the tribunal decided not to intervene. The tribunal did not see the urgency of immediately removing the crew from the ship. Nevertheless, the tribunal remains competent for the case and will have to make a final decision.