Falling water levels on the Amazon have pushed container lines to impose low-water surcharges on Brazilian river cargo, with MSC applying $1,400 per dry box and $1,900 per reefer. Ocean Network Express will charge $1,458 from September 15, and Maersk has set its levy at $1,228.

Drought is squeezing inland waterways well beyond South America. The Rhine at Kaub has fallen below 10 centimeters, and traffic on the Danube has largely come to a halt, forcing shippers on both rivers toward rail and road alternatives at higher cost.

Low-water surcharges are a recurring feature of river logistics, but the simultaneous constraint of the Amazon, Rhine and Danube leaves shippers who depend on barge feeders with few practical alternatives for reaching deep-sea gateways.