Low Rhine water levels disrupt inland shipping

Unusually low water levels on the Rhine are disrupting container transport by barge, putting additional pressure on terminals in Rotterdam and Antwerp. Agribulk throughput at the port of Rotterdam declined by 11.4% in the first nine months of 2026, as stockpiling in 2025 reduced the need for imports this year. The Drewry World Container Index rose by 3% this week, driven by the first increase in freight rates on Asia–Europe routes after 13 consecutive weeks of declines.