European Inland Barge Freight Rates Steady, Regional and Long-Haul Route Divergence Persists

[European inland barge freight rates hold steady, regional and long-haul route divergence persists]

(1) The latest European inland barge freight rate data, based on 1,200-tonne dry bulk vessels excluding iron ore, shows quotes from various loading ports to the ARA region continuing their range-bound distribution.

(2) Among northern German inland loading ports, Hamburg to ARA is quoted at EUR 29.00/tonne, the highest on the above routes; Hanover and Minden are lower at EUR 21.50 and EUR 21.00/tonne, respectively.

(3) Brunswick and Magdeburg to ARA are both at EUR 23.00/tonne, while Hildesheim and Bierstingen/Walldorf are quoted at EUR 24.00 and EUR 26.00/tonne, respectively.

(4) Routes loading from Rotterdam show notable quote dispersion, with ARAG at only EUR 10.50/tonne, Duisburg at EUR 12.50/tonne, and Cologne at EUR 15.00/tonne.

(5) Rotterdam to southern Germany and inland hubs generally commands higher rates, with Basel at EUR 28.00/tonne, Nuremberg at EUR 26.50/tonne, and both Hamburg and Uelzen at EUR 26.00/tonne.

(6) Rotterdam to Frankfurt, Mainz, and Papenburg are at EUR 20.00, EUR 18.00, and EUR 18.00/tonne, respectively, while Bremen and Brake/Elsfleth are both at EUR 18.50/tonne.

(7) Another set of quotes from German ports to the HGFW region shows German Baltic ports to western Italy at EUR 52.00/tonne and to Greece at EUR 70.00/tonne, the highest in the table.

(8) German Baltic ports to Portugal are quoted at EUR 31.00/tonne, to Spain's south coast at EUR 37.00/tonne, and to both the UK west coast and northern Spain at EUR 27.00/tonne.

(9) UK east coast to Portugal is at EUR 24.00/tonne, to Spain's north coast at EUR 21.00/tonne, and to Oldenburg at EUR 19.00/tonne.

(10) Overall, inland barge freight rates continue their regional divergence pattern, with long-haul routes and Baltic port export quotes notably higher than short-haul inland routes, reflecting the persistent impact of route distance and handling conditions on pricing.