Dubai, UAE – December 2, 2025 — Kings Research has released its latest study, “Global Barge Transportation Market: Size, Share, Trends & Forecast 2025–2032.” The report provides comprehensive insights into market sizing, segmentation (fleet, barge, application, region), regional performance, and competitive strategies — supporting logistics operators, port authorities, bulk commodity suppliers, oil and gas companies, and investors evaluating inland and coastal transport networks.
According to Kings Research, the global barge transportation market was valued at USD 18.41 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow from USD 19.59 billion in 2025 to USD 30.95 billion by 2032, reflecting a CAGR of 6.75% over the forecast period.
Growth is driven by rising demand for low-cost bulk cargo movement, increasing international and domestic trade volumes, decarbonization initiatives across marine logistics, and capacity expansions in inland waterways across key global markets.
Barge transportation via rivers, canals, and coastal channels efficiently moves bulk goods, containers, chemicals, petroleum, agricultural products, and building materials. Barges offer high capacity, energy efficiency, low emissions, and less congestion than road transport. With infrastructure upgrades and rising demand for cost-effective, sustainable freight solutions, their importance is growing.
Kings Research highlighted the key factors driving the expansion of the barge transportation market:
- Cost-efficient movement of bulk commodities
Industries such as petroleum, agriculture, construction, and chemicals are increasingly shifting long-distance bulk movement to barges due to substantial cost and fuel efficiencies.
Data from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration shows that barges can move one ton of cargo 647 miles per gallon of fuel, compared with 477 miles by rail and 145 miles by truck, a major advantage for large-volume commodity transport. Additionally, a standard 15-barge tow carries the equivalent load of about 1,050 trucks or 216 railcars with six locomotives, enabling companies to lower per-ton logistics costs while reducing congestion on highways. (Source: www.fhwa.dot.gov)
- Infrastructure upgrades in inland and coastal waterways
Expanding and modernizing inland waterway and coastal port infrastructure directly strengthens barge capacity and transit reliability. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 449 million short tons of cargo moved through the U.S. inland waterway system in 2023, underscoring the scale of freight that depends on lock modernization, dredging, and digitalized traffic management. These upgrades enhance navigability, reduce delays at lock systems, and boost throughput across major trade corridors. (Source: publibrary.sec.usace.army.mil)
- Shift toward sustainable freight transport
With industries prioritizing carbon-efficient logistics, barges are gaining traction as a low-emission alternative to trucks and rail. Research from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) reports that inland waterway vessels in the EU generate around 33 g of CO₂ per tonne-km, significantly lower than road freight emissions.
The ICCT also highlights that for distances of around 200 km, inland waterway transport remains cost-efficient at approximately €0.027 per tonne-km, supporting both environmental and economic sustainability. This has accelerated momentum for hydrogen-powered and electric-hybrid barge developments across Europe and Asia. (Source: theicct.org)
- Integration of multimodal transport solutions
The expansion of multimodal logistics networks is strengthening barge transport’s role within global supply chains. Eurostat reports that inland waterway freight in the EU reached 122 billion tonne-kilometres in 2024, increasing 4.5% year-on-year, driven by improved integration with rail and trucking corridors.
This multimodal connectivity supports seamless end-to-end logistics, enhances resilience during supply chain disruptions, and advances the movement of bulk, agricultural, and industrial goods across key manufacturing regions.
- Growing demand for petrochemical, mineral, and containerized cargo
Demand for barge transport continues to rise as petrochemical, mineral, and containerized cargo volumes expand globally. In the EU inland waterway system, metal ores and other mining products accounted for 23.2% of total tonne-kilometres transported in 2024, while coke and refined petroleum products represented 16.3% of all inland freight. These figures highlight the heavy reliance of the petrochemical and mineral industries on barges for large-volume, long-distance transportation of bulk commodities.
Benefits for logistics providers, commodity companies, and investors:
- Lower freight costs: Barges offer competitive unit economics for high-volume cargo movement.
- Sustainability advantages: Inland waterway transport results in significantly lower emissions compared with road or rail.
- High-capacity and reliability: Barges support large shipments and reduce supply chain bottlenecks.
- Strong trade-driven growth: Rising commodity transport supports long-term demand.
- Multimodal synergies: Integration with rail and road networks enhances operational efficiency.
Regional Insights
- Asia-Pacific (APAC) held the largest share of the barge transportation market in 2024 due to increasing trade volumes, expanding inland waterways in China and Southeast Asia, and strong demand for bulk transport supporting manufacturing and construction industries.
- North America remains a major market driven by the extensive Mississippi River System, strong demand for agricultural and petrochemical transport, and government-led infrastructure improvements.
Competitive Landscape
The barge transportation market is moderately fragmented, comprising global logistics providers, inland marine service operators, and regional barge fleet owners.
Key companies profiled in the report include Kirby Corporation, Future Proof Shipping, American Commercial Barge Line, McAllister Towing and Transportation Company, Inc., Ingram Marine Group, Campbell Transportation Company, Inc., Blessey Marine Services, Inc., Florida Marine Transporters, PACC Offshore Services Holdings Limited, Rhenus Logistics SE & Co. KG, Rooskens Group, VTG GmbH, Gulf Agency Company Limited, Alter Logistics Company, and A.P. Moller – Maersk.
Leading operators are focusing on fleet expansion, low-emission barge technologies, strategic acquisitions, and integrated marine logistics solutions to increase their market presence.
About Kings Research
Kings Research is a global research and consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations navigate emerging markets, assess growth opportunities, and make strategic, data-driven decisions.
To request a sample or access the full report, please visit: https://www.kingsresearch.com/report/barge-transportation-market-2994.
All market data are sourced from Kings Research proprietary analysis, validated against credible government publications and peer-reviewed research papers. Examples cited include: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), European Commission Inland Waterway Transport Statistics, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), International Maritime Organization (IMO), and corporate disclosures of Kirby Corporation, ACBL, and Maersk.