Low Water Levels Hinder River Shipping in Germany

Water levels on the Rhine and Danube in Germany remain low after recent dry weather and cargo vessels cannot sail fully loaded on some sections of the rivers, traders said on Monday.

The Rhine is too shallow for normal sailings from Cologne to south Germany, traders said. All of the German section of the Danube is too shallow for full loads, they said.

Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates, increasing costs for cargo owners.

The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including grains, minerals, coal and oil products including heating oil. The Danube is a major route for east European grain exports to west Europe.

(Reporting by Michael Hogan, editing by Louise Heavens)