Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on July 4, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleLow water levels on the Rhine disrupt shipping in Germany, causing increased costs due to surcharges. Rain stabilizes but doesn't improve levels.
HAMBURG (Reuters) -Low water levels after a drought and heatwave are stopping cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine river in Germany despite rain this week, commodity traders said on Friday.
Low water is hampering shipping on all of the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub, traders said.
Ships are generally only able to sail about half full. But cargo is still being delivered, with loads being carried by several vessels instead of one, traders said.
Rain this week was only enough to stabilise water levels and did not bring a major improvement.
Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners.
More rain and cooler temperatures are forecast in the next week, but a continued stabilisation of Rhine water levels rather than a major improvement is expected, traders said.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ore, coal and oil products, including heating oil.
German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in 2022 after a drought and heatwave led to unusually low water levels on the Rhine.
(Reporting by Michael HoganEditing by David Goodman)
Low water levels after a drought and heatwave are preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine river in Germany.
Ships are generally only able to sail about half full, but cargo is still being delivered by carrying loads with several vessels instead of one.
More rain and cooler temperatures are expected in the next week, but a continued stabilization of Rhine water levels rather than a major improvement is anticipated.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ore, coal, and oil products, including heating oil.
German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in 2022 due to unusually low water levels on the Rhine caused by a drought and heatwave.
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