Low water levels in a current heatwave are preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine river in Germany, increasing costs for freight transport, commodity traders said on Monday.
Impact on Shipping
Shallow water means vessel operators are imposing surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners. It also means loads must be spread among several vessels sailing part loaded, also increasing costs, traders said.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, coal and oil products, including heating oil. Low water is hampering shipping on all the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub, traders added.
Tanker barges are currently only able to carry about 1,200 metric tons through Duisburg and only 460 tons at Kaub, traders said. The cost of tanker barge transport from Rotterdam to Karlsruhe has risen to around €60 to €70 a ton from around €45 at the end of June, traders said.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
