Essayer OR - Gratuit

Cargo costs rise as low water levels hit shipping on key rivers

The Guardian

|

July 08, 2025

Low water levels caused by drought and heatwaves are limiting shipping on some of Europe's biggest rivers and pushing up transport costs.

- Julia Kollewe

Cargo costs rise as low water levels hit shipping on key rivers

The Rhine south of Duisburg in Germany, including the chokepoint at Kaub, is badly affected, forcing vessels to sail about half full.

Rainfall over the weekend caused only a moderate rise in water levels, according to commodity traders. Shallow water has prompted operators to impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded.

Traders told Reuters that loads normally transported on one vessel were being carried on several barges.

Most of the nearly 200m tonnes of cargo shipped on German rivers each year - including coal, car parts, grain and chemicals - is transported on the Rhine, the second longest river in central and western Europe after the Danube.

PLUS D'HISTOIRES DE The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

Heroic foodstuffs star in bonkers sort-of opera

Spare a thought for Amy J Payne, the gutsy mezzo-soprano who plays the title role in Opera North’s Pass the Spoon.

time to read

2 mins

December 15, 2025

The Guardian

The Guardian

At least 16 dead in terror attack on Jewish festival

Australia's prime minister condemned \"an act of evil antisemitism\" yesterday after gunmen opened fire on a Jewish festival at Sydney's Bondi beach, killing at least 16 people, including a child, and injuring dozens more.

time to read

3 mins

December 15, 2025

The Guardian

The Guardian

'It was a massacre'

Witnesses describe the horror - and the bravery

time to read

3 mins

December 15, 2025

The Guardian

Woltemade's bizarre own goal gifts Sunderland win

Eddie Howe is not the first, and is unlikely to be the last, manager outwitted by Régis Le Bris this season but few are likely to find the experience quite as painful.

time to read

3 mins

December 15, 2025

The Guardian

The Guardian

'It will not define us'

Howe rues 'freak' goal but vows to discard derby loss

time to read

1 mins

December 15, 2025

The Guardian

Comcast Proposed ITV takeover would have effect on public service broadcasting

The prospect of Comcast taking over ITV has prompted concerns about the impact on British public service broadcasting, a fact that Channel 4's new chief executive, moving from a senior post at Sky, will be all too aware of.

time to read

4 mins

December 15, 2025

The Guardian

Belarusian street protest leader freed from jail says: 'I don't regret anything'

The Belarusian street protest leader Maria Kolesnikova, who was freed at the weekend along with 122 other prisoners after more than five years in jail, has said she has no regrets about her role in the opposition against the autocratic president, Alexander Lukashenko.

time to read

3 mins

December 15, 2025

The Guardian

McCullum keeps faith in batting lineup with jobs on line

The seriesis on the line and, inalllike-lihood, jobs with it.

time to read

3 mins

December 15, 2025

The Guardian

Unpaid fees leave Ghanaian students at risk of deportation

Students from Ghana at UK universities say they are at risk of deportation after being stranded by their own government without promised scholarships or tuition fee payments.

time to read

1 mins

December 15, 2025

The Guardian

Dressed up like a dog winner: dachshunds do festive walkies

The pitter-patter of tiny paws brought joy - and more than a little chaos - to Hyde Park in London as hundreds of dachshunds and their owners gathered for the annual sausage dog Christmas walk yesterday.

time to read

1 mins

December 15, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size