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Rain raises Rhine river levels in Germany however ships still part loaded

Rain has actually raised water levels on the Rhine in Germany but most of the river remains too shallow for cargo vessels to sail totally packed, product traders said on Wednesday, following a bout of dry weather condition in August.

Ship operators imposed additional charges on freight rates to compensate for vessels cruising partly empty, increasing expenses for cargo owners.

Shallow water continues to prevent shipping on the majority of the Rhine in Germany including Duisburg, Cologne and the chokepoint of Kaub, but vessels have the ability to take on bigger loads, traders said.

More rain is anticipated in river catchment locations on Wednesday and the coming days and this is anticipated to raise the river to levels allowing normal shipping later this week or early next week, they stated.

The Rhine is an essential shipping route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, chemicals, ores, coal and oil items, including heating oil.

German companies faced supply traffic jams and production issues in summer 2022 after a dry spell and heat-wave caused abnormally low water levels on the river.

However repetitive rain previously this summer season had actually kept Rhine water levels high, enabling shipping to mainly operate generally until late August.

(source: Reuters)