Rhine water levels hit 2-month low

July 12, 2019

File Image: Cargo movement along an inland waterway in Germany (CREDIT: AdobeStock / © digitalstock
File Image: Cargo movement along an inland waterway in Germany (CREDIT: AdobeStock / © digitalstock

Water levels along the Rhine river, a key waterway for transporting commodities and other products from coastal areas to inland locations in France, Germany and Switzerland, fell to their lowest since May 21, Refinitiv Eikon data showed.

Levels at the Kaub location in Germany hit 201 centimetres and have been steadily declining since late June, the data showed.

Oil barge brokers said the low water levels meant barges were leaving the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp refining and storage hub to inland locations not fully laden.

Water levels along the river hit a record low of 25 cm in October, which led to oil product shortages in Germany and Switzerland.

Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar and Shadia Nasralla

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