Basel business groups seek action on a Rhine at record low levels

The Rhine has reached historically low water levels because of the prolonged drought. Under current conditions vessels cannot be loaded to capacity.

The consequence is immediate and measurable. Less cargo per trip means more trips, and therefore higher transport costs for every tonne moved. The country's security of supply is weakened as a result.

The Chamber of Commerce of both Basel cantons and the Swiss Federation for Navigation and Port Economy have issued a joint statement. The two organisations are calling for action.

Four lines of action already identified

The Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine has acknowledged the problem. It noted that it has already addressed the issue, in particular at an expert seminar held in January 2023.

That work produced four lines of action. The first concerns digital tools for more reliable water-level forecasting. The second involves work on the river's infrastructure. The third focuses on barges designed to operate in shallow water. The fourth asks shipping companies to adapt their logistics.

The four directions have been known for three years. What the Basel associations are flagging now is the gap between the plan and the reality of a summer in which the river does not allow normal loads.

The Rhine is the main waterway for Swiss imports of heavy goods. Fuels, construction materials and chemical products travel along it, in volumes that road and rail would absorb at greater cost.

The cost of waiting falls on the businesses that depend on that route. Every season without operational solutions translates into a risk premium that companies pass downstream, into prices.