Category: Freight

Mid-December rebound: Russian grain exports for December 1–20 reached 3.389 million tons, up 14% year-on-year, driven by a sharp pickup in the second ten-day period. Wheat-led strength: Wheat exports nearly doubled in the second ten-day period to 1.679 million tons, pushing total December wheat shipments to almost 3.1 million tons (+18.5% YoY). Partial recovery in…

Rail congestion is worsening at Greater Odesa ports, with the grain railcar backlog rising to 11,656 units despite weaker unloading. Throughput constraints are tightening, as average daily loading to Greater Odesa ports slipped to 1,077 railcars/day, deepening network bottlenecks. Danube corridor support is weakening, with unloading down to just 22 railcars/day, reducing an important alternative…

Capacity Goal: Ukraine targets raising Danube port cargo turnover to at least 15 million tons annually by 2026. Current Throughput: Danube ports handled over 8 million tons in the first 11 months, versus nearly 68 million tons at Greater Odesa ports. Jobs & Efficiency: Development measures are expected to preserve 2,000+ jobs and cut administrative…

Port security is critical: Protection of Ukrainian port infrastructure remains essential to sustain agricultural exports and global food security. Past disruptions were costly: Export blockages in 2022 contributed to a surge of more than 15% in global food prices. Ongoing defense upgrades: Ukraine is seeking international support to enhance air defense systems for ports through…

Bullish (Freight): Ukrainian grain exports are down 31.8% year-on-year, tightening Black Sea supply and underpinning rates on alternative export routes. Bearish (Grain Supply): Slower wheat and corn shipments reduce available Ukrainian export volumes, allowing competing origins to capture demand. Market Structure: Wheat exports are 20% behind last season and corn is 43% lower, encouraging buyers…

Export Growth: Kazakhstan’s grain exports rose 15% year-on-year to 3.9 million tons in the first quarter of the 2025/26 season. Investment Drive: Government plans $2.6 billion in deep grain processing projects with 4.8 million tons annual capacity by 2028. Regional Demand: Exports to Uzbekistan jumped 35% and Kyrgyzstan volumes more than doubled, reinforcing Central Asia…

Policy shift: Moldova will end its Ukrainian grain import licensing regime on January 1, 2026, reverting to standard import procedures. Limited past impact: Only 25 import licenses were issued between October 2023 and December 2025, underscoring Moldova’s minor role as a grain destination under the restrictions. Ongoing oversight: Enhanced market monitoring will remain in place,…

Oil & fats imports jump 49.3%: Vegetable oil and fat imports reached $417.3 million in Jan–Nov 2025, highlighting rapidly growing demand. Oilseed inflows up 34%: Oilseed imports climbed to $83 million, while exports grew 10% to $23 million. Grain trade expansion: Grain imports rose 10% to $919.5 million, with exports surging 42% to $501.3 million.…

Bearish: Ukraine’s agricultural export revenues declined by €2.2 billion as of December 1, 2025, with 95% of the loss linked to reduced access to the EU market. Bearish: Unpredictable EU trade policy for Ukrainian agricultural imports is undermining pricing visibility and forward freight planning. Neutral/Structural: Ukraine must implement 20 EU production standards by end-2028, creating both…

Rice policy shift: Russia ends its paddy rice export ban and introduces a quota system, signaling confidence in domestic supply and renewed export ambitions. Grain exports stabilize: 2025 grain exports projected at 53–55 million tons, aligning with the five-year average but below the 2023–2024 record, capping upside for freight demand. Logistics expansion: FESCO’s management of…