Rhine barges run at 20% of capacity as freight rates surge

Monday, August 3rd 2026 - 18:47 UTC

At levels of 40 to 50 centimeters, vessels can carry around 20% of their normal volume

Falling water levels on the Rhine are forcing barges to operate with a fraction of their usual load and have sharply raised the cost of river transport, as drought and extreme temperatures affect Europe's main inland waterways.

At levels of 40 to 50 centimeters, vessels can carry around 20% of their normal volume, according to Germany's federal waterways administration; industry estimates put current operations at between 20% and 30%. Freight rates from Rotterdam have more than tripled in two months, according to figures reported by the Dutch press, which puts them at around 45 euros per ton in June and close to 150 in July.

The gauge at Kaub, near Koblenz, is the benchmark indicator because it determines how heavily vessels can be loaded. On Friday it fell to 25 centimeters, matching the 2018 low, before recovering slightly on Monday. A drop to 24 centimeters, forecast for this week, would mark the lowest level since records began in 1880, according to German federal data compiled by ETH Zurich.