Key Amazon Ports Brace for Impact Amid Early River Drought 亚马逊河面临早期干旱，以下港口或受影响

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According to a recent report by NorthStandard, the Amazon River Basin is facing an unprecedented early drought crisis, with river levels significantly below average for this time of year. Typically, the dry season in the region starts in late June to early July, but this year, water levels began to plummet as early as June, raising widespread concern.  

据NorthStandard最新报道，亚马逊河流域正面临一场前所未有的早期干旱危机，河流水位已显著低于历史同期水平。通常情况下，该地区的干旱季节始于6月末至7月初，但今年，水位在6月上旬便已开始急剧下降，这一异象引发了广泛关注。

The drought presents a direct threat to the shipping industry, marked by potentially severe delays in logistics and port operations. The National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA) has warned of water shortages in the Madeira and Purus rivers and their tributaries, which are vital for navigation, hydroelectric power generation, and public water supply. Notably, recent reports from ANA and climatology institutes indicate the upper Amazon accumulated below-average precipitation during the rainy season (from November 2023 to April 2024). Coupled with the early onset of the dry season, the event suggests that disruptions to navigation could be even more severe than those experienced during last year's drought.  

此轮干旱对航运业构成了直接威胁，可能导致物流和港口作业出现严重延误。国家水利与卫生局（ANA）已正式发出警告，指出马德拉河、普鲁斯河及其支流因缺水而面临严峻挑战，这些河流在航运、水力发电及公共供水方面均扮演着至关重要的角色。值得注意的是，ANA与气候学研究所的最新研究报告进一步揭示了问题的严重性：亚马逊上游在最近雨季（2023年11月至2024年4月）内的降水量远低于平均水平，且旱季提前到来，预示着对航运的干扰可能不亚于甚至超过去年那场灾难性的干旱。

The drought has already had a tangible impact on several key shipping routes, including the mouth of the Madeira River, the confluence of the Solimões and Negro Rivers around Manaus, as well as downstream between Manaus and Itacoatiara, and the Tapajos River between Itaituba and Santarém. Other important waterways in the region have also been severely impacted by this unprecedented drought.  

具体而言，干旱已对多个关键航段造成了实际影响，包括马德拉河河口、索利蒙伊斯河与内格罗河在马瑙斯附近的交汇处、马瑙斯至伊塔科阿蒂亚拉间的下游航道，以及塔帕若斯河在伊塔图巴与圣塔伦之间的航段。此外，区域内其他重要水道也遭受了前所未有的干燥侵袭。

In response to this crisis, carriers providing liner services on the Amazon River, including Aliança (APMollen-Maersk), Log-In, ONE, Mercosul Line (CMA CGM Group), and MSC, are imposing a temporary Low Water Surcharge (LWS) on the freight of all containers to or from the port of Manaus. If the river levels continue to drop at their current rate, container shipping may have to halt within a few weeks. In this scenario, container cargo to and from Manaus would rely on barges for transshipment via the Vila do Conde Port at the mouth of the Pará River, east of the Amazon.  

为应对这一危机，自2024年8月1日起，包括Aliança（APMollen-Maersk）、Log-In、ONE、Mercosul Line（CMA CGM Group）和MSC在内的多家在亚马逊河提供班轮服务的承运商，已决定对往返马瑙斯港的所有集装箱货物加收临时低水附加费（LWS）。更令人担忧的是，若河水继续按当前趋势下降，集装箱船运输或将在几周内被迫中断。届时，前往或离开马瑙斯的集装箱货物将不得不依赖驳船，通过亚马逊东部的帕拉河河口维拉杜孔德港（Barcarena）进行转运。

Previously, some operators redirected containers originally planned for barge transport between Manaus and Vila do Conde to alternative ports along the northeastern coast, such as Pecém and Suape, for onward carriage once river levels rise. The flexible measures may provide valuable insights for easing the current crisis and similar challenges in the future.  

回顾去年干旱时期的应对策略，部分运营商已采取灵活措施，将原本计划通过马瑙斯和维拉杜孔德之间驳船运输的集装箱转移至东北海岸的替代港口，如佩森和苏阿佩，以期在河水恢复后继续完成运输任务。这一经验或将为当前及未来可能遭遇的类似困境提供借鉴。

Manaus, the largest city and logistics hub in the Amazon region, hosts the busiest container terminal in northern Brazil. It is a crucial transshipment gateway for container cargo from Asia and North America to other countries along the East Coast of South America. Home to the Manaus Free Trade Zone (ZFM), it is a strategic player in consumer goods production and assembly for distribution throughout the country. Moreover, Manaus is a key hub for the supply of food, medicine, and fuel to the western Amazon region, making its stable operation essential for regional economic stability. Therefore, the early drought crisis poses a serious challenge to the region's logistics chain and economic development.  

马瑙斯作为亚马逊地区最大的城市及物流枢纽，其集装箱码头的繁忙程度在巴西北部首屈一指。这里不仅是亚洲与北美集装箱货物中转至南美洲东海岸其他国家的重要节点，也是马瑙斯自由贸易区（ZFM）的所在地，对消费品生产、组装及全国范围内的分销具有战略意义。此外，马瑙斯还是亚马逊西部地区食品、药品和燃料供应的关键枢纽，其稳定运行对于维护区域经济稳定至关重要。因此，此次早旱危机无疑对该地区的物流链和经济发展构成了严峻挑战。