New transit requirements have been introduced for vessels sailing through the Sulina Canal to ports in Ukraine and Moldova

From May 25, it has become mandatory for ships in a loaded state, heading through the Sulina Canal to the ports of Ukraine and Moldova, to issue a T1 transit declaration. This was reported by Avalon Shipping Operations Manager Kateryna Kononenko.

According to her, previously, submitting an ENS (Entry Summary Declaration) was sufficient for such voyages. The T1 declaration was used only for ships delivering cargo to Romanian ports.

After the new requirements came into force, the T1 declaration became mandatory for cargo heading to Ukraine and Moldova.

At the same time, Romanian customs brokers encountered technical difficulties when processing such declarations in the new system.

“There was a problem with the processing of T1 declarations for cargo heading to Ukrainian or Moldovan ports. Romanian brokers are currently unable to process such declarations in the new system. There are already cases when ships are waiting in the Sulina area until the problem is resolved and the necessary documents are received,” Kononenko noted.

She added that the reason for the difficulties was Romania’s transition to the new version of the European transit system NCTS Phase 6, which is used to control international goods transport.

Kononenko also noted that the system needs time to adapt and eliminate technical problems. At the same time, temporary failures can lead to additional costs for shipowners, charterers and cargo owners due to vessel downtime and delays in cargo delivery.

Tags: Danube ports, Ukraine, Romania, Moldova