The water level of the Rhine River in Germany has risen due to rainfall, but shipping is still restricted

Commodity traders said on Wednesday that after the dry weather in August, rainfall has caused the water level of the Rhine River in Germany to rise, 

but most of the rivers are still too shallow for cargo ships to sail at full capacity.

Ship operators impose surcharges on freight charges to compensate for partially empty ships, thereby increasing the cost for shippers.

Traders say that shallow water continues to impede shipping in most parts of the Rhine River in Germany, 

including the throat routes of Duisburg, Cologne, and Kaub, but ships are able to carry larger loads.

They said that more rainfall is expected in the river catchment area on Wednesday and in the coming days, and the river water level is expected to 

reach the level that allows normal shipping later this week or early next week.

The Rhine River is an important transportation route for commodities such as grains, minerals, ores, chemicals, ores, coal, and petroleum products (including heating oil).

In the summer of 2022, drought and heat waves led to abnormally low river water levels, causing supply bottlenecks and production issues for German companies.

But the repeated rainfall in early summer this year led to high water levels in the Rhine River, allowing shipping to operate normally until late August.