# Rhine at Kaub could fall to 18 centimeters on Friday **Category:** Operational Alerts | **Source:** Frachtportal Redaktion | **Published:** 2026-08-03 | **Updated:** 2026-08-10 **Tags:** Rhein, Kaub, Niedrigwasser, Binnenschifffahrt, Pegelstand, Rheinschifffahrt, Transportkosten, Chemieindustrie, Stahlindustrie, Lieferkette, Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Frachtportal News, Seefracht, LKW Transport, Schienentransport, Digitalisierung > The Kaub water level could fall to 18 cm on Friday. Inland vessels must continue to reduce their cargo, while costs and delivery times increase. --- Low water levels on the Rhine are intensifying further. The water level at the important bottleneck of Kaub was around 28 centimeters on Monday. According to forecasts from the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration, it is expected to drop to up to 19 centimeters on Thursday and temporarily to 18 centimeters on Friday. This would fall below the previous low of 25 centimeters recorded in October 2018. However, this is still a forecast. Rainfall or changes in water inflows could still influence the actual development. Kaub is located between Mainz and Koblenz and is considered one of the critical bottlenecks for Rhine shipping. The gauge reading does not directly correspond to the actual water depth in the shipping lane. Nevertheless, it indicates how heavily ships can be loaded. For inland shipping, the low water level means that many ships can only carry a small portion of their usual cargo. According to the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, transport capacity can drop by up to 75 percent during severe low water periods. For the same volume of goods, significantly more ships and trips are required. Bulk goods such as coal, ores, mineral oil products, grain, and chemical raw materials are particularly affected. Companies in the chemical, steel, and mineral oil industries are heavily dependent on the Rhine. The consequences are already known from previous low water periods: tight ship space, higher freight rates, low water surcharges, and longer delivery times. A short-term shift to rail or truck transport is only partially possible because there are neither sufficient vehicles nor adequate free capacity available. IfW economist Stefan Kooths estimates that prolonged low water could dampen German gross domestic product in the third quarter by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points. This is an economic assessment and not yet actual damage incurred. Forwarders and shippers should not only look at the official gauge level. What matters is the ship space capacity actually offered, the permissible draft of the vessel deployed, and any low water surcharges. For ongoing bookings, shipping companies or charterers should be asked about confirmed loading quantities. Already booked quantities can be distributed across multiple vessels or postponed in time. Subsequent transport must also be reviewed. Delayed barges can lead to missed terminal slots, missing raw materials, or additional storage costs. Those transporting time-critical cargo should clarify rail and road alternatives early and inform customers of possible additional costs. In short: the 18 centimeters are still a forecast, but available transport capacity on the Rhine is already becoming scarcer and more expensive. --- Dispatchers now face greater difficulty in planning reliable transit times and capacities. Many inland vessels can only carry a portion of their normal cargo at this water level. As a result, more ships or additional trips are required for the same volume of goods. Shippers should review current bookings to verify which cargo quantities have actually been confirmed. Already booked volumes can be distributed across multiple vessels or shifted in time. Low water surcharges and short-notice price adjustments are also possible. The situation is particularly critical for bulk goods, mineral oil products, chemical raw materials, steel, and building materials. Shifting to rail or truck transport is only possible to a limited extent, as capacity shortages can occur in these modes as well. Freight forwarders should inform their customers early about potential delays, additional costs, and reduced vessel capacity. Connecting transports, terminal slots, and storage periods must also be reviewed. Delayed barges can quickly incur additional demurrage, storage, or transshipment costs. In short: The record value of 18 cm is still a forecast. However, the operational consequences of low water levels are already being felt now. --- Facts, Lists, Evidence The water level at Kaub was approximately 28 cm on August 3, 2026. For Thursday, August 6, water levels of 19 cm are expected at times. For Friday, August 7, the forecast indicates values down to 18 cm. The lowest water level on record at Kaub is 25 cm. This value was measured on October 22, 2018. The 18 cm figure is a forecast or estimate and not yet a measured record. During severe low water conditions, the transport capacity of inland vessels can decline by up to 75 percent according to the DIHK. Chemical, steel, and mineral oil companies are particularly affected. The consequences include higher transport costs, longer delivery times, and potential supply bottlenecks. The IfW considers a GDP dampening effect of 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points in the third quarter to be possible if drought conditions persist. ## Related Entities ### Countries - [Germany](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/de) - [Netherlands](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/nl) - [Switzerland](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/ch) ### Seaports - [Rotterdam (NL RTM)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/rotterdam-port-nl-rtm) ### Glossary - [Booking](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/booking) - [Freight rate](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/freight-rate) - [Storage costs](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/storage-costs) - [delivery time](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/delivery-time) - [Shipping company](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/shipping-company) - [Freight forwarder](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/freight-forwarder) - [Goods](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/goods) - [Inland Navigation Logistics](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/inland-navigation-logistics) - [Inland Waterway Transport](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/inland-waterway-transport) - [Low Water Surcharge (LWS)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/low-water-surcharge-lws) - [Loading Draught (Abladetiefe)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/loading-draught-abladetiefe) - [Water Level (Gauge Reading)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/water-level-gauge-reading) - [Draft](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/draft) --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/rhein-bei-kaub-koennte-am-freitag-auf-18-zentimeter-fallen-20260803173816](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/rhein-bei-kaub-koennte-am-freitag-auf-18-zentimeter-fallen-20260803173816)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/rhein-bei-kaub-koennte-am-freitag-auf-18-zentimeter-fallen-20260803173816](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/rhein-bei-kaub-koennte-am-freitag-auf-18-zentimeter-fallen-20260803173816)*