Russia’s air raids on Ukraine have destroyed the country’s shipping ports on the Danube, resulting in disruption in the export routes via the Black Sea, The Financial Times reported.
The drone attacks have severely weakened Ukraine’s economy, as the eastern European nation which “produces half the world’s sunflower oil exports and 10 percent of its wheat,” used the Danube ports to export grain, in addition to using rail freight through Europe.
Now the Danube Shipping Company (DSC) is making requests to the Constanta Black Sea port in Romania to allow ship-to-ship transfers, arguing that this would increase export capacities twofold.
According to Reuters, the 2023 grain output of Ukraine was estimated to hit 56 million metric tons, however, the Black Sea ports blockades since the war began in 2022 have significantly constrained shipments.
According to Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu, Romania had planned to “double the monthly transit capacity for Ukrainian grain through Constanta to four million tons,” explaining that this goal remains achievable.
More than 700,000 tons of agricultural products are delivered by barges to the Romanian port each month, according to DSC, who posted on the messaging app Telegram that 60% of the grain export flow through Constanta is by river fleet.
The firm said that there were currently 600 barges at Constanta and that there were occasionally up to 60-day wait times for offloading in the port.
“If Constanta allows the development of…transshipment, the rivermen are ready to increase the volumes by another 500,000 tons,” it said, per Reuters.
