Record-low Rhine levels choke barge traffic, stress ground transport

Water levels in the shallowest middle section of the Rhine River have fallen to 16 centimeters below the low-water threshold, threatening to halt all barge transportation on a critical supply chain corridor for central Europe that has experienced severely reduced traffic since early summer because of ongoing drought conditions. The actual navigable depth as of Monday was about 4. 25 feet, according to Germany’s Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration. Voyages through Switzerland and southern Germany have virtually stopped. The inability to move large volumes of containers and bulk goods between major North Sea ports and inland centers is creating huge operational headaches and cost pressures for businesses and their logistics partners.