HAMBURG, July 26 (Reuters) - Heavy rain has raised water levels on the Rhine in Germany, but the river is still too shallow in central northern areas for cargo vessels to sail fully loaded, commodity traders said on Wednesday.
As increasingly frequent low water on the Rhine disrupts Europe's largest economy, its industry is finding new ways to ship cargoes, including the use of low-water barges.
"So far this summer we have had enough rain to prevent a crisis on the river," one commodity trader said.
"Low water has increased costs but cargo has been delivered."
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.
Persons:
Michael Hogan, John Stonestreet
Organizations:
Thomson
Locations:
HAMBURG, Germany, Koblenz, Cologne, Duisburg