How Has the Inland Water Freight Transport Market Evolved Historically and What is its Current Size?
The inland water freight transport market has seen considerable growth due to a variety of factors.
• The market size for inland water freight transport has seen a robust growth in the past few years. It is estimated to expand from a value of $20.08 billion in 2024 to $21.47 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9%.
Factors contributing to this increase during the past years include a surge in population, developing economies, the demand for cost-effective transportation of goods, and heightened investments.
What is the Forecasted Market Size and CAGR for the Inland Water Freight Transport Market?
The inland water freight transport market is expected to maintain its strong growth trajectory in upcoming years.
• Anticipated to witness robust expansion in the upcoming years, the inland water freight transport market is projected to increase to $27.26 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%.
The expected growth within the forecast period can be credited to factors such as acceleration in economic growth, the surge in demand for e-commerce, advancements in infrastructure, and augmented investments. The forecast period is expected to see major trends such as the implementation of information technology platforms for improved vessel oversight, adoption of sustainable and efficient inland transportation, fostering partnerships and securing funding, utilization of freight and fleet tracking/management systems, implementation of terminal and port information and communication systems, and investments in freight tracking systems.
What Key Factors and Trends are Driving the Growth of the Inland Water Freight Transport Market?
The surge in the need for mass goods transportation is projected to drive the expansion of the inland water freight transport market. Mass transportation points to the conveyance of high volumes of goods or commodities. With its capacity to hold extensive quantities of goods, inland water freight transport becomes a preferred choice for mass conveyance. For instance, in July 2023, as per gov.uk, a public sector information portal based in the UK, UK ports handled a whopping 458.9 million tonnes of cargo in 2022, marking a 3% rise compared to 2021. Hence, the escalating requirement for mass goods transportation is fuelling the growth of the inland water freight transport market.
What are the Market Segments in the Inland Water Freight Transport Market?
The inland water freight transport market covered in this report is segmented –
1) By Type: Liquid Bulk Transportation, Dry Bulk Transportation
2) By Fuel Type: Heavy Fuel Oil, Diesel, Biofuel, Other Fuels
3) By Vessel Type : Cargo Ships, Container Ships, Tankers, Other Vessel Types
Subsegments:
1) By Liquid Bulk Transportation: Transportation Of Chemicals, Transportation Of Petroleum Products, Transportation Of Food-Grade Liquids
2) By Dry Bulk Transportation: Transportation Of Agricultural Products, Transportation Of Minerals, Transportation Of Construction Materials
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What Trends are Shaping the Inland Water Freight Transport Market?
Major corporations involved in the inland water freight transport market have begun freight operations to improve operational efficiency, lower transportation costs, and ensure the reliability of their services while addressing the increasing demand for eco-friendly logistics solutions. These initiatives also aim to bolster tourism by enhancing access to waterways. The goal is to attract tourists and stimulate local economies by improving infrastructure for passenger vessels and leisure boating. For example, The Andhra Pradesh Inland Waterways Authority, a statutory body in India, in December 2023, initiated cargo transportation strategies aimed at boosting both cargo handling and tourism through the optimization of inland waterways. The Authority launched freight operations including operational Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) services along National Waterway-4 (NW-4), particularly between Ibrahimpatnam and Lingayapalem on Krishna River. Primarily this service assists in the transportation of building stone chips, thereby demonstrating the possibility of efficient cargo transfer through inland waterways.
Who Are the Key Players in the Inland Water Freight Transport Market?
Major companies operating in the inland water freight transport market include:
• Ingram Barge
• Kirby Inland Marine
• CMA CGM Group
• American Commercial Barge Line
• Rhenus Group
• Mckeil Marine Limited
• Higman Barge Lines. Inc.
• American River Transportation
• SCF Marine Inc.
• Limited Liability Company Fesco Integrated Transport
• Sealion Cargo
• The Ace Group Inc
• Latin American Cargo – Lac
• Consolidated Grain & Barge Company
• Florida Progress Corporation
• Acbl Holding Corporation
• Ergon. Inc
• American Commercial Lines. Inc.
• Abbey Sea S.A
• Acsa S.R.L.
• Administracion General De Puerto De Buenos Aires
• Argentina Cargo S.R.L
• Trident Freight
• United Arab Shipping Company (Uasc)
• Freight Systems
• Gulftainer Company Limited
What are the Regional Insights into the Inland Water Freight Transport Market?
Western Europe was the largest region in the inland water freight transport market in 2024. Asia-Pacific was the second largest region in the global inland water freight transport market share. The regions covered in the inland water freight transport market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa
