HAMBURG (Reuters) -Low water levels following dry weather continue to hamper Rhine river cargo shipping in Germany, with rain in past days causing only a moderate rise in water levels, commodity traders said on Thursday.
Low water is hampering shipping on all the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub.
Cargo vessels are generally only able to sail about half full. But freight is still being delivered, with loads being carried by several vessels instead of one, traders said.
The volumes vessels can load have risen slightly, traders said.
Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners.
Some rain is forecast in river catchment areas in the next week, which could at least prevent a further fall in water levels, traders said.
The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, coal and oil products, including heating oil.
German companies faced supply bottlenecks and production problems in summer 2022 after a drought and heat wave led to unusually low water levels on the Rhine.
(Reporting by Michael Hogan. Editing by Mark Potter)
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