Heavy rain over the Easter weekend in Germany has caused the water levels of the Rhine River to rise, allowing vessels to carry more cargo. However, the river is still too shallow for normal sailings, according to commodity traders. The extreme lack of rain in March and April resulted in low water levels, particularly in the southern regions south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub. This has hampered shipping activities in April.
In the northern regions around Duisburg, vessels are now able to sail about 80% full, a significant improvement from only half full last week. The recent rain in southern Germany has raised water levels at Kaub, enabling ships to carry more than 1,400 metric tons of cargo compared to only 870 tons earlier in April. Vessels are now sailing more than half full at Kaub, indicating some progress in the situation.
Traders are optimistic about further improvements as more rain is forecasted in the Rhine river catchment areas this week. The shallow water conditions have led vessel operators to impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for not sailing fully loaded, which increases costs for cargo owners. The Rhine River is a crucial shipping route for various commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, coal, and oil products, including heating oil. German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production issues in the summer of 2022 due to unusually low Rhine water levels caused by a drought and heat wave.
