Ukrainian grain exports to the EU returned to pre-war levels

Ukraine’s grain exports to the EU have returned to pre-2022 levels. For almost a year now, Ukraine has not been supplying wheat, sunflower, corn, and rapeseed to neighboring countries, and the vast majority of its agricultural exports are exported by sea.

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.

During the EU Council on Agriculture, Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine Mykola Solsky noted that since the beginning of the year, about 12 million tons of 17 million tons of agricultural exports have gone through the ports of the large city of Odesa, almost 3 million tons have been shipped by the Danube, and only 2 million by land, mostly by rail, through neighboring EU countries.

“We transit through Poland in a month as much as we export through Ukrainian seaports in one day. Now the cost of exports from Ukraine by sea is much more competitive than by land,” added Mr. Solsky.

He emphasized that the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU markets has no negative impact, and in some cases plays a role in stabilizing the price balance.

In particular, the share of Ukrainian poultry and eggs in total EU consumption is less than 2% and 1%, respectively. The price of sugar in the EU is still much higher than it was before the full-scale invasion. If Ukrainian sugar is removed from the market, the price in the EU will increase even more.

The Minister of Agrarian Policy emphasized that Ukraine seeks free trade with the EU on a competitive market basis.

“Any restrictions only weaken Ukraine economically and directly distance the main goal – our common victory over Russia in this war,” emphasized Mykola Solsky.

Tags: Ukraine, corn, export, grain, EU, wheat, sunseed, rapeseed