Category: Freight

Russian grain exports to Kazakhstan plunged 67% year-on-year to $109 million in January–November, signaling weaker regional demand. Wheat remains the core trade flow at 78.4% of export value, with barley, corn, and rice making up most of the remainder. Despite the drop in volumes, Russia still commands 83% of Kazakhstan’s grain import market, underscoring its…

Bullish: Ukrainian seaports moved 44.2 million tons of agricultural products in 2025, achieving over 95% of planned cargo turnover despite heavy security disruptions. Bearish: Ukrainian road exports collapsed 65% month-on-month in January 2025, signaling acute strain on alternative land corridors and higher inland logistics risk. Bullish: Container shipping via Ukrainian ports rose 66% year-on-year to…

Post-holiday rebound: Azov-Black Sea freight rates rose in week 3 as grain trade normalized and demand recovered after New Year holidays. Cost support factors: Kerch Strait delays and a shortage of spot tonnage are pushing freight rates higher across key Black Sea and Mediterranean routes. Zero export duties: Russia’s wheat, barley, and corn export duties…

Record Export Revenues: Russian oat exports reached nearly $62 million in 2025, surpassing the previous record of $59.3 million set in 2024. China-Driven Demand: China accounted for over $56 million of imports, more than 90% of total Russian oat export value. Strong Production Growth: Domestic oat output rose 25.8% year-on-year to 3.8 million tons, supported…

Bearish Russian exports: Russian grain exports fell 17.6% in H1 2025/26 MY to 33.9 million tons amid intensifying competition from the EU, Australia, and Argentina. Resilient Turkish demand: Turkey’s November grain imports surged 72% month-on-month to 1.37 million tons, with Russia supplying 92% of its wheat purchases. Diversification to Africa: Russian agricultural exports to Sudan…

Kazakhstan targets at least 6.5% trade volume growth by 2026, leveraging wholesale grain exports and new B2B digital trading platforms. Planned repairs of 11,000 km of roads, new railway lines, and three airports aim to cut logistics bottlenecks and support freight growth. Krasnoyarsk Krai wheat exports collapsed 4.5x in 2025, while value-added rapeseed oil and…

Operational streamlining: Kazakhstan and China agreed to simplify grain cargo procedures and cut border delays on key rail crossings. Volume growth: Bilateral rail cargo volumes rose 11% in 2025 to 35.6 million tons, with TCTR container traffic up 15% to 36,000 TEUs. Infrastructure boost: Second track construction on the Alashankou-Dostyk section and planning of the…

Operational transparency: Ukrzaliznytsia has unified pricing and work scopes for private freight car repairs across all repair facilities. Cost predictability: A single base price and standardized repair lists enable railcar owners and grain traders to plan maintenance budgets more accurately. Market alignment: Prices are benchmarked against private repair companies, with streamlined overheads to keep tariffs…

Capacity Growth: Grain handling at Makhachkala Commercial Seaport rose 17% year-on-year in 2025 to 300,000 tons. Near-Term Expansion: First stage of a new grain terminal in 2026 is expected to boost capacity by 30% to about 390,000 tons annually. Long-Term Positioning: Full terminal completion by end-2028 aims to make Makhachkala the largest grain facility on…

Bearish: Russian grain exports declined 17.6% year-on-year to 33.9 million tons in July–December 2025, with wheat shipments down 14% and the number of export destinations shrinking from 69 to 49. Bearish: Active exporting companies dropped to 97 from 235, and key ports such as Novorossiysk and Rostov-on-Don recorded lower throughput, signaling weaker freight demand. Neutral-to-bullish:…