Romanian port of Constanta to open additional anchorage for Ukrainian grain in September

Romania is going to open an additional anchorage in Constanta in September to export Ukrainian grain. This was announced by Dmytro Moskalenko, CEO of Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company.

He noted that last year, UDSC was one of the initiators of the anchorage in Constanta. The capacity of the port’s terminals was not enough to handle the grain flow from Ukraine. At that time, there were up to 600 barges with grain in the port, and the wait for unloading could last 30-40 days.

Currently, the UDSC fleet is returning to grain transportation from Ukrainian ports to Constanta. The anchorage is an opportunity to strengthen the competitive advantages of the Danube export route.

“Now we are waiting for the conditions,” Moskalenko said.

He emphasized that Ukrainian grain exports via the Danube will continue only if all components of the logistics chain become cheaper. Compared to last year, freight rates for river transportation from Ukraine to Romania have decreased threefold.

“We are working to reduce the tariff for rail transportation to Izmail. The word is up to our Romanian partners. The parking project will be successful if the costs of cargo handling are significantly reduced. “Our common goal is to ensure that grain exports via the Danube can compete with Odesa ports. This is the only way to keep the business interested,” Moskalenko added.

Romania remains the largest alternative export route for Ukrainian grain and other goods, despite being Ukraine’s main corridor in the Black Sea.

In 2023, 14 mдт tons of grain were exported through Romania’s Constanta, accounting for approximately 40% of the port’s total grain shipments for the year, compared to 8.6 million tons in 2022.

Tags: Ukraine, export, grain, Romania, Constanta