Inland Water Freight Transport Market Report 2026

The inland water freight transport market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $18.75 billion in 2025 to $19.84 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of inland trade routes, availability of navigable rivers and canals, cost advantages over road transport, increasing movement of bulk commodities, development of inland port facilities.

The inland water freight transport market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $25.49 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing investments in green inland shipping, rising focus on low-emission freight transport, expansion of inland waterway connectivity projects, growing demand for bulk commodity transport, integration with digital logistics platforms. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing shift toward inland waterways for bulk transport, rising adoption of fuel-efficient inland vessels, growing modernization of river port infrastructure, expansion of multimodal inland logistics networks, enhanced focus on cargo safety and handling efficiency.

The rising demand for bulk transportation of goods is expected to drive the growth of the inland water freight transport market. Bulk transportation involves moving large quantities of goods or materials. This demand is increasing due to the expansion of industrial and manufacturing activities. The inland water freight transport market meets this demand by facilitating the cost-effective movement of substantial cargo volumes over long distances. For example, in July 2025, the Department for Transport, a UK-based government transport authority, reported that Great Britain-registered heavy goods vehicles carried approximately 1.59 billion tonnes of goods in 2024, marking an increase of about 2% compared with roughly 1.55 billion tonnes in 2023. Therefore, the rising demand for bulk transportation of goods is fueling the growth of the inland water freight transport market.

Major companies in the inland water freight transport market have begun freight activities aimed at improving operational efficiency, lowering transportation costs, and enhancing service reliability while addressing the increasing demand for sustainable logistics solutions. These initiatives also emphasize promoting tourism by improving access to water routes. By upgrading infrastructure for passenger vessels and recreational boating, the authority seeks to attract tourists and stimulate local economies. For example, in December 2023, the Andhra Pradesh Inland Waterways Authority, based in India, launched cargo transport initiatives to boost cargo movement and tourism through the development of inland waterways. This includes the initiation of operational Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) services on National Waterway-4 (NW-4), specifically between Ibrahimpatnam and Lingayapalem on the Krishna River. This service primarily facilitates the transportation of stone chips for construction, demonstrating the potential for efficient cargo movement via inland waterways.

In November 2023, Astatine Investment Partners LLC, a US-based infrastructure investment firm, acquired McKeil Marine for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition aims to expand Astatine Investment Partners' portfolio by integrating McKeil Marine's expertise in inland water freight transport services. McKeil Marine Limited is a Canada-based company that provides inland water freight transport services.

Major companies operating in the inland water freight transport market are 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., LLC Fesco Integrated Transport, Sealion Cargo, The Ace Group Inc., Latin American Cargo - Lac, Consolidated Grain & Barge Company, ACBL Holding Corporation, Ergon Inc., American Commercial Lines Inc., Argentina Cargo S.R.L, Trident Freight, Freight Systems, Gulftainer Company Limited.

Western Europe was the largest region in the inland water freight transport market in 2025. 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, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the inland water freight transport market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The inland freight water transport market includes revenues earned by entities by providing navigation as well as drainage, irrigation, water supply, and hydroelectric power generation. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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