Category: Freight

Bearish: Ukrainian agricultural truck exports fell 14.4% in April to 285,300 tonnes, signaling softer land-based export activity versus March. Structural: Flows remain heavily concentrated on Polish and Romanian corridors, underlining their role as the main westward export channels. Value-added focus: Processed products such as sunflower oil, poultry, and ethyl alcohol continue to dominate truck freight,…

Zero export duties sustained: Russia keeps wheat, barley, and corn export duties at zero for a third consecutive week from May 6–13, supporting competitive Black Sea offers. Stable wheat, firmer corn: Wheat indicative prices are essentially flat, while corn edges higher, signaling steady to slightly improving demand for Russian grain. Supportive for exports: Duty-free conditions…

Ukrzaliznytsia transported 2.87 million tons of grain in April, down 1.1% from March, indicating only a marginal softening in rail demand. Export grain flows slipped 1.7% to 2.571 million tons, with 92% moving via Black Sea ports and just 8% through western border crossings. Average daily loading eased to 87,500 tons, a 1.3% decline month-on-month,…

Policy Push: AAR is lobbying to abolish import duties on mineral fertilizers amid sharply rising input costs for Ukrainian farmers. Tax Relief Delays: Implementation of a 50% fuel excise tax reduction for agricultural producers, adopted in 2024, remains stalled as of April 2026. Competitiveness Risk: Ongoing delays keep Ukrainian producers at a cost disadvantage versus…

Export-driven: Agriculture generated $6.3 billion in Q1 2026, accounting for 62% of Ukraine’s total exports, with the EU and MENA as core destinations. Turkey growth: Turkey’s share of Ukrainian agricultural exports rose to 12%, led by an 18% increase in corn volumes and 17% revenue growth. Value-added shift: Oilseed processing is accelerating, with rapeseed oil exports surging…

Policy shift: China now allows Kazakh traders (not only producers) to export feed meal, expanding commercial participation in the cross-border trade. Export momentum: Kazakhstan shipped 2,154.3 thousand tons of feed meal in the first seven months of 2024/25 MY, already 97% of last season’s volume, with March 2025/26 flows holding steady month-on-month. Capacity pipeline: 46…

Grain logistics shock: Ukrzaliznytsia grain car rental rates surged 964% in May to UAH 26,600/day, sharply increasing export logistics costs. Mixed impact across car types: Food tank car rates declined 9.7%, while flour and gondola car rates remained unchanged, signaling targeted price moves rather than a broad-based hike. Bearish for Ukrainian grain exports: Higher rail…

Maritime dependence: Around 90% of Ukrainian exports rely on seaborne logistics, underscoring the critical role of secure port access. Security & economy link: NIBULON CEO Andriy Vadatursky framed maritime security as a core pillar of Ukraine’s economic resilience. Mykolaiv bottleneck: Unblocking the Mykolaiv port hub is viewed as essential to restoring freight flows and maintaining…

Strategic integration: Ukraine has proposed extending the 3,600 km Rail-2-Sea corridor to the port of Odesa, linking its key Black Sea hub with Central European freight routes. Financing window: A dedicated funding channel for Ukrainian projects is expected within the Three Seas Investment Fund during Poland’s upcoming presidency. Freight impact: The project is neutral to…

Logistics slowdown: Ukraine’s April road exports of agricultural goods averaged 9,300 tons/day, about 13% below March’s 10,700 tons/day pace. High-value focus: Cargo was dominated by processed, value-added products such as sunflower oil, poultry, sugar, and soybean derivatives. Polish corridor key: The Polish border remained the primary road export route, with Romania as the second-largest corridor.…