BASEL - Swiss Rhine ports reported that mid-March water levels allowed barges to load closer to full weight toward Rotterdam and Antwerp. Winter had been thin enough that some operators cut payloads and raised prices on containers that still had to move.
Chemical and grain traffic felt it first. Basel's river gate is a European story with a Swiss invoice. German and Dutch lock schedules remain the other half of punctuality.
An energy footnote
Hydropower people watch the same water for a different reason. A kinder Rhine in March does not settle the import debate. It just moves more freight while the debate continues.