Ukrainian grain exports through Constanta drop to 226 thsd tonnes

Ukraine shipped 226,000 tonnes of grain through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta in the first two months of the year, down sharply from 1.33 million tonnes in the same period last year, the port authority said on Wednesday.

The drop reflects Kyiv’s reliance on its own ports despite Russian attacks on shipping and infrastructure, though Constanta remains Ukraine’s main alternative export route for grains since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Overall grain exports through Constanta amounted to 2.55 million tonnes for January-February.

Romania is one of the European Union’s biggest grain exporters and Constanta also handles grain flows from landlocked neighbours including Serbia, Hungary and Moldova.

Port data, which does not include volumes handled through smaller Romanian ports and direct exports by rail and road, showed that Ukrainian grain shipments through Constanta totalled 6.23 million tonnes in 2024.

Romania has helped to export almost 29 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain through Constanta since February 2022.