Companies in production, trade, and logistics around the world have to confront climate change and its consequences. Although longer periods of low water have occurred more frequently in recent years, current low water levels in Europe are rare. Particularly in large parts of the Rhine, low water levels have not been seen for years. Navigation on the Rhine near Basel has been largely suspended since 19 October 2018.

This situation represents a major challenge for all parties involved (shippers, forwarders, ship-owners, ports). Economic impairments caused by the loss of shipping on the Rhine have an impact on the entire transport chain: increased planning uncertainty, changed delivery times and higher costs when switching to other modes of transport. An alternative is shipping from the southern ports in France or Italy. Our experts are able to advise you at exportsea@schneider-transport.com or phone +41 61 365 96 90.