Queues for grain cargoes increase at Constanța port

Significant queues persist at the port of Constanța for incoming cargoes, including Ukrainian grain redirected to Romania following reduced operations at Ukrainian seaports. Due to terminal congestion, cargoes are accepted only within specific time windows ahead of a vessel’s arrival.

According to carriers, there is almost no spare capacity at the port for advance cargo accumulation. Constanța was not designed to handle such volumes, so grain is mainly being moved by rail, while container shipments remain economically unattractive due to high transport costs.

Customs clearance is another bottleneck. A shortage of inspectors and limited inspection slots have extended cargo clearance times from two or three days to five to seven days.

As of September 22, queues at Constanța had not eased significantly despite a slight decline in cargo flows. Some shipments have been redirected toward Poland, but this has not yet noticeably reduced congestion at the port.

Delays are creating additional costs for carriers and cargo owners. Truck detention is estimated at €150–200 per day per vehicle, on top of terminal parking, container storage and equipment overuse charges.

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Tags: grain, Romania, logistics, Constanta