Low Rhine levels hamper shipping, weighing on German industry
EWG•The Kaub gauge on the Rhine fell to 0 cm late Monday before rising to 5 cm early Tuesday, restricting transport and production. If the gauge stays below 78 cm for 30 days, German industrial production typically falls by about 1%, IfW says.
1. Rhine levels fall
Water levels on the Rhine, one of Europe’s busiest shipping routes, fell to another low, hampering transport and production. The gauge at Kaub fell to 0 cm late Monday before rising to 5 cm early Tuesday. The riverbed is more than 1 metre deeper than the gauge.
2. Industry faces disruption
Low water restricts barge traffic for companies including BASF, Bayer and Covestro, and has burdened Germany’s economy, particularly its chemicals sector. If the Kaub gauge stays below 78 cm for 30 straight days, as in 2022 and 2018, German industrial production typically falls by about 1%, IfW says. RWI chief economist Torsten Schmidt said low water levels were unlikely to be a one-off phenomenon and that climate change raised the question of whether production sites would have to be relocated from along the river.
