Ukraine’s grain exports through Romania’s Constanta port have plummeted in the first five months of 2023, dropping 44% year-on-year to 3.5 million metric tons. This decline reflects Ukraine’s ability to increasingly route its agricultural shipments through its own Black Sea ports, particularly after creating a new shipping corridor last August.
Constanta has served as a major alternative export route for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. However, Ukrainian officials say the country is now better positioned to move larger volumes of grain through its own ports along the western Black Sea coast.
“The current system of navigation is definitely better because it’s free of intermediation and inspections. Tempo of movement is increasing, we can send big vessels,” said Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s Deputy Economy Minister, speaking at a security forum in Bucharest.
Despite the sharp drop in Ukraine’s grain exports through Constanta, the Romanian port still handled a total of 12.6 million tons of grain in the first five months of 2023, up 3.6% from the same period last year. This includes shipments for Romania and its landlocked neighbors, such as Serbia, Hungary, and Moldova.
Kachka emphasized that Romania, particularly via the Danube River, remains an important alternative export route for Ukraine. But the data suggests Ukraine is now prioritizing the use of its own ports, which have become more accessible and efficient since the country established its new Black Sea shipping corridor.
As Ukraine continues to rebuild its agricultural export capabilities in the wake of the Russian invasion, the declining reliance on the Constanta port marks a significant shift in the country’s logistics and trade strategies.