Record-low water on the Rhine is moving beyond transport disruption into broader operational strain for German industry, with Covestro declaring force majeure on some products, Evonik reporting constraints at its Marl chemical park, utilities Uniper and EnBW citing weaker hydroelectric output, and Salzgitter shifting coal deliveries to rail. The crisis at the Kaub chokepoint has already pushed up freight costs, limited vessels to part-loads and, traders say, made some cargo bookings impossible, even as Berlin monitors regional fuel-price spikes and keeps emergency road and logistics measures in place. Agricultural trader RWZ said it has shipped less than 10% of its usual July-August volume from Worms and Andernach and warned conditions could become far more difficult if water levels do not recover by October.