Rhine River Shipments Hampered By High Water

Barge movements on Germany's Rhine river are being hampered by high water levels, a manager of a lower Rhine loading terminal said. "The river is standing at about 7.5 m today. Normally it is 5 m deep here," the Duisberg container terminal manager said. As a result of heightened water levels, rows of cargoes stacked on barges could be mounted to only three levels as opposed to the normal four, in order to pass under 17.6 m bridges, she said. There are no water-level adjusting locks on the Duisberg section of the Rhine, she added. Earlier in the day, heating oil barge traders complained that barges were being held up on the Rhine due to the flooding. - (Reuters)