(ZEROHEDGE) – It’s the last thing that key German industries — already confronting a weak earnings outlook — need this summer: The Rhine is declining rapidly, another potentially nasty headache for Europe’s biggest economy.
Dwindling water levels at Kaub, a chokepoint that can prove a struggle for vessels on their journey inland, are evoking memories of the hot summers of 2022, 2018 and 2015.
Snaking roughly 800 miles (1,288 kilometers) from Switzerland to the North Sea, the Rhine carries vital deliveries and exports of heating oil, gasoline, coal and other commodities. The river is back in focus after disruptions to shipping last summer left parts of inland Europe short of fuel, a problem made worse by a spate of refinery outages.
