Category: Freight

Neutral to Bearish Ukraine: Wheat flour exports projected down 2.6% in 2025/26 MY amid a 10% drop in domestic production, limiting export growth. Bullish Russia: Kaluga Region agricultural exports up 10.5% to over $130 million with a target of 50% further growth by 2030. Structural Risk for EU: Russian fertilizers supply 23% of EU imports;…

Average daily grain railcar unloading at Greater Odesa ports fell 20% week-on-week to 915 units/day, signaling worsening congestion. Railcar backlog to Greater Odesa climbed to 9,847 units (about 11 days of unloading at current rates), while loading toward these ports slipped to 853 units/day. Danube ports showed relative improvement, with average daily unloading nearly doubling…

Neutral: Russia set a 20 million ton grain export quota for February–June 2026 across 213 companies, maintaining overall export control while slightly consolidating the exporter base. Bullish (Logistics): Agidel port’s return to service in 2025 adds 90,000 tons of inland export capacity to Egypt and Iran, modestly diversifying routes beyond traditional Black Sea terminals. Bearish (Export…

Export Shift: Indonesia plans to curb crude palm oil exports to prioritize domestic biofuel (B40/B50) and aviation fuel production. Investment Push: Government targets $36.86 billion in palm oil processing investments despite stagnant output over the past five years. Tighter Global Supply: Rising domestic use may reduce export availability, supporting global vegetable oil prices. Black Sea…

AGT CARGO plans to build a new grain terminal at the Astara dry port to expand capacity beyond the current 500,000 tons per year. The company set a historic record by processing around 180,000 tons of grain via Georgia’s Poti port on the Trans-Caucasian route in 2025. AGT CARGO is exploring containerized grain shipments from…

Georgian ports nearly double throughput: Combined port traffic rose from 13 million tons in 2022 to a record 25 million tons via Batumi alone in 2025, underscoring Georgia’s emergence as a key grain transit corridor. Rail bypass boosts capacity and speed: A new bypass route through the pass has increased Georgian railway capacity and reduced…

Logistics Deepening: Kazakhstan and Pakistan signed 32 commercial agreements worth $189.8 million, strengthening regional supply chain links across logistics, energy, and infrastructure. Agro-Industrial Expansion: A $20 million joint venture for sugar production in Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu region underlines growing regional food processing capacity and value-added exports. Freight Implications: Multimodal cooperation between Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and Pakistan’s…

Logistics Diversification: Kazakhstan is expanding use of Trans-Caspian grain routes to Europe and North Africa, reducing reliance on traditional Black Sea lanes. Stable Russian Flows: Rostov-on-Don handled over 8 million tons and 3,800 vessels in 2025, confirming resilient export activity with wider reach into Asia and Africa. Oilseed Ambitions: Planned investment in Caspian oil-loading terminals…

Exports Decline: Russian grain exports fell 18.9% year-on-year in January 2026 to 2.99 million tonnes, driven mainly by steep drops in corn and barley shipments. Logistics Strain: Kazakhstan’s rail bottlenecks, with railcar idle times above 10 days at Kostanay, are creating significant delivery risks and cost pressures for regional exporters. Price Competitiveness: Russian wheat remains…

Record exports vs. weak margins: Kazakhstan shipped a record 1.7 million tonnes of soft wheat in December 2025, yet farmer profitability remains under pressure from tenge devaluation and tight liquidity. Import paradox: Despite a bumper 2025 harvest, Kazakhstan continues importing around 1.5 million tonnes of Russian grain annually because exchange rate disparities make Russian wheat cheaper for…