Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 23, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
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Rain has raised Rhine river levels, but shipping remains limited due to shallow waters. Vessels can only sail partially loaded, impacting costs.
HAMBURG (Reuters) -Rain has raised water levels on the river Rhine in Germany, but most of the river is still too shallow for cargo vessels to sail fully loaded, commodity traders said on Wednesday.
Dry weather and a heatwave in June and July meant the river became too shallow for vessels to sail at full capacity. Ship operators imposed surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels sailing partly empty, increasing costs for cargo owners.
Rain this week has caused a strong rise in water levels, traders said. The impact of the heatwave had been larger than expected, as fields which drain into smaller streams and rivers feeding into the Rhine were especially dry.
Shallow water continues to hinder shipping on much of the river in Germany including Duisburg, Cologne and the chokepoint of Kaub, but vessels are able to take on larger loads, traders said.
Vessels can now sail around 70% full at Kaub, and around 60% full in Duisburg and Cologne.
More rain forecast in river catchment areas in coming days is expected to raise the river to approaching normal levels later this week, they said.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, chemicals, coal and oil products, including heating oil.
German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in summer 2022 after a drought led to unusually low water levels on the river.
(Reporting by Michael Hogan; Editing by Jan Harvey)
The Rhine River is one of the major rivers in Europe, flowing through several countries including Germany, France, and the Netherlands. It is a crucial shipping route for various commodities.
Cargo vessels are ships designed to transport goods and materials across water. They can vary in size and type, depending on the cargo they carry.
Freight rates are the charges applied for transporting goods by ship, truck, or other means. These rates can vary based on distance, cargo type, and market conditions.
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