On 11 August 2026, the water level gauge for the Rhine River at Kaub, Germany, located between Mainz and Koblenz, dropped to a historic low of 15 centimeters. This followed an unprecedented summer heatwave with temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius.
Low levels in the river compel vessels to carry lighter loads, increasing freight costs for chemical producers that operate along the Rhine, such as BASF, Covestro, and Evonik. Steel giant Thyssenkrupp has temporarily idled part of its barge fleet and has chartered shallow-draft vessels to maintain hot metal production in Duisburg. In July, BASF declared force majeure on several surfactants due to restricted river transport that caused a shortage of raw materials; Covestro made a similar announcement in August. Overall, Deutsche Bank estimates that these disruptions could reduce German GDP growth by up to 0.2 percentage points. In response, Germany has implemented a new low-water monitoring platform and has scattered various municipal restrictions on nonessential water usage.
