Ukraine’s grain exports through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta fell by 43.5% on the year in the first half to 4.24 million metric tons, the port authority said, as Kyiv has been able to rely on its own ports this year.

Constanta port had been Ukraine’s main alternative route for grain since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and the port has seen an influx of European Union investment funds aimed at increasing its capacity.

Grain arrives in Romania by road, rail and barge across the Danube river and the port remains an important alternative route.

But a shipping corridor Ukraine created in August 2023 from Odesa, that hugs the western Black Sea coast near Romania and Bulgaria after Russia withdrew from a U.N.-brokered safe grain export deal, means Kyiv relies less on Constanta.

Romania is one of the EU’s biggest grain exporters. The port of Constanta also handles shipments for the EU state’s landlocked neighbours including Serbia, Hungary and Moldova.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian producers said the combined export of grain and oilseed is seen at around 60 million tons for 2024/25, almost the same as in 2023/24.

Constanta Port data, which does not include volumes handled through smaller Romanian Danube ports and rail and road exports to southern European states, showed that 740,000 tons of Ukrainian grain left port in June.

Overall grain exports through Constanta amounted to 15 million tons by June 30, virtually unchanged from the same period of last year.

Source: Reuters, reported by Luiza Ilie and edited by Bernadette Baum