Maersk reinstates Rhine charges as low water hits inland barge routes

Maersk will reinstate a €625-per-container contingency charge at Andernach and a €175 charge at Bonn for inland cargo from 3 November 2026, after falling Rhine water levels disrupted barge operations again. The carrier will also apply revised low-water surcharges at selected Dutch inland terminals from the same date, and will keep all three measures in force until operating conditions improve.

Maersk stressed that "the terminal contingency charges are separate from its Rhine Low Water Surcharge," so an affected container can face both fees. For shippers, that turns a low-water disruption into a two-part bill and gives carriers a reason to reprice inland legs quickly.

What changes for shippers at Bonn and Andernach?

Regular barge operations to and from Andernach and Bonn face disruption again as Rhine levels decline, reversing Maersk's earlier announcement that regular service had resumed. At Andernach, the carrier had discontinued the previous contingency charge from 27 October, one week before the reinstated fees take effect.

Maersk may redirect affected containers through alternative terminals and arrange additional transport to or from their final inland locations. For Bonn cargo, those arrangements can include handling through Emmerich, giving the carrier routing flexibility while adding a step for forwarders to explain to customers.

The Andernach contingency covers all affected cargo moving through the terminal, including shipments connected with inland locations such as Polch and Eberhahn. Maersk applies €625 per container on both exports and imports at Andernach, against €175 in each direction at Bonn.

The carrier publishes these two terminal fees as a single amount per container, without a 20-, 40- or 45-foot breakdown, unlike its Dutch schedule. At €625, the Andernach fee runs about 3.6 times the Bonn charge, a difference of €450 on one box.

How do the Dutch barge surcharges scale with river levels?

Maersk tied the revised Netherlands schedule to readings at specific measurement points, with one fee per container size at each trigger. The carrier attributed the revision to continued drought, navigation restrictions and operational constraints across Dutch inland waterways.

The charges apply from 3 November 2026 and cover inland barge movements:

• Hengelo/Almelo, IJsselkop–Twentekanaal at or below 2.00 m: €25 (20-foot), €50 (40-foot), €60 (45-foot).
• Hengelo/Almelo, at or below 1.75 m: €75 (20-foot), €150 (40-foot), €175 (45-foot).
• Hengelo/Almelo, at or below 1.50 m: €180 (20-foot), €195 (40-foot), €200 (45-foot).
• Den Bosch, Sluis Engelen at or below 2.60 m: €15 (20-foot), €30 (40-foot), €40 (45-foot).
• Nijmegen, Waal at or below 2.00 m: €25 (20-foot), €50 (40-foot), €60 (45-foot).
• Nijmegen, at or below 1.75 m: €45 (20-foot), €80 (40-foot), €85 (45-foot).
• Nijmegen, at or below 1.50 m: €65 (20-foot), €120 (40-foot), €135 (45-foot).
• Roermond, Waal at or below 2.00 m: €25 (20-foot), €50 (40-foot), €60 (45-foot).
• Venray-Wanssum, Waal at or below 2.00 m: €25 (20-foot), €50 (40-foot), €60 (45-foot).
• Doesburg, IJsselkop–Twentekanaal at or below 2.00 m: €25 (20-foot), €50 (40-foot), €60 (45-foot).
• Doesburg, at or below 1.50 m: €80 (20-foot), €110 (40-foot), €125 (45-foot).

At Hengelo/Almelo, the 40-foot rate reaches €195 at the 1.50 m trigger, nearly four times the €50 applied at 2.00 m. Nijmegen's 40-foot charge rises from €50 to €120 as the Waal reading falls from 2.00 m to 1.50 m, while Doesburg's climbs from €50 to €110.

Container News described the operating logic: "Low water reduces the amount of cargo that barges can carry, increasing the number of sailings and the cost of moving containers through the inland network."

For shippers, the schedule exposes inland transit costs to a river reading they cannot control. A 40-foot box handled at Andernach already adds €625, and a Dutch barge leg can add €15 to €195 depending on terminal and trigger, before any separate Rhine Low Water Surcharge applies.

For carriers and forwarders, thinner loads mean more sailings for the same container volume, while rerouting through Emmerich or other alternative terminals can add handling steps. Forwarders will need to quote those contingencies into inland rates instead of relying on the October resumption Maersk has now withdrawn.

Maersk has tied all three measures to improving operating conditions rather than a fixed end date, so drought, navigation restrictions or tighter capacity could keep barge surcharges elevated and inland transit costs higher beyond 3 November 2026.