Low water on Germany's Rhine river threatens new blow to economy
The Zollburg Pfalzgrafenstein, located in the middle of the Rhine, is surrounded by extremely low water levels, in Kaub, Germany, Wednesday Aug. 5, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
Dwindling water levels on some of Germany's major rivers worsened by heat and drought are raising fears that badly constrained riverboat cargo traffic may deal yet another blow to the struggling economy.
The Rhine riverbed is partially dry near steelmaker thyssenkrupp's blast furnaces in Duisburg, a picture of how the low waters pose a new challenge for German industry.
The mighty waterway also winds past car factories, chemical plants and big river ports as it passes through the industrial heartland of Europe's biggest economy.
