Category: Freight

Zero duties extended: Export duties on Russian wheat, barley, and corn remain at zero from April 29 through May 5. Wheat & barley firmer: Indicative prices for wheat and barley inched higher week-over-week, signaling stable to firm demand. Corn softens: Corn indicative prices eased, likely reflecting seasonal supply pressures. Competitive exports: Zero-duty policy continues to…

Production boost: Eliminating Argentina’s agricultural export taxes could lift grain output 10.1% to 182.6 million tonnes by 2036. Export growth: Annual agricultural exports are projected to rise by 14.1 million tonnes, adding about $6.4 billion in export revenue. Crop drivers: Soybeans and corn would account for most of the production and export gains, supported by…

Trade Expansion: Shandong Hi-Speed is in talks with Kazakhstan’s Food Contract Corporation to significantly scale up grain and feed meal imports, including potential forward financing. Export Surge: Kazakhstan’s feed meal exports to China jumped 137% year-on-year in Sep–Feb 2025/26, reinforcing China’s role as the dominant buyer. Strategic Shift: Growing eastbound flows may ease competition in…

Grain railcar unloading at Greater Odesa ports slipped to 1,265 units/day, while the backlog grew to nearly 8,000 railcars, signaling emerging congestion risks. Daily loading toward Greater Odesa ports rose to 1,195 units/day, narrowing the clearance margin and potentially increasing demurrage and logistics costs. Danube ports remain a minor outlet with just 16 wagons/day unloading,…

Robust lending momentum: Ukrainian SMEs obtained 1,193 state-guaranteed loans totaling UAH 6.2 billion in March 2024, supporting business liquidity and investment. Agriculture well-capitalized: The agricultural sector has accumulated 3,369 loans worth UAH 24.1 billion since December 2020, underpinning production, processing, and export logistics. Bank concentration: PrivatBank leads with 13,374 loans totaling UAH 23.4 billion, while…

Strategic expansion: Romania’s Sea Ports Administration has acquired Giurgiulesti International Port from the EBRD, strengthening its Danube–Black Sea logistics footprint. Capacity growth: Planned long-term investments target higher handling capacity, infrastructure modernization, and improved competitiveness for regional grain flows. Grain logistics boost: Two grain terminals and multimodal access for river and sea vessels enhance optionality for…

Supply Constraint: Russia sets a 20 million ton fertilizer export quota for June–November 2026, limiting global availability. Domestic Priority: Quotas aim to secure sufficient fertilizer supplies for Russian farmers and feed producers during peak demand. Market Impact: Tighter export volumes may support higher global fertilizer prices and raise input costs for competing grain regions. Russia’s…

Record Exports: Russian vegetable oil and meal shipments to the Middle East (ex-Iran) hit a record 300,000 tons in March, up 53% month-on-month and 57% year-on-year. Turkey-Driven Demand: Turkey absorbed 82% of total volumes, led by strong imports of soybean meal, sunflower meal, and sunflower oil. Geopolitical Reorientation: Regional buyers are diversifying away from traditional…

Robust export support: Ukraine’s Export Credit Agency backed 25 export agreements worth UAH 6.14 billion in Q1 2026, covering 21 exporters nationwide. European market focus: Germany led as the top destination with UAH 1.11 billion in exports, followed by Hungary and Poland, underscoring strong Central and Western European demand. Regional concentration: Khmelnytskyi region received the…

Ukrainian ports handled over 21 million tons of cargo in Q1 2026, achieving 98% of their planned transshipment target. Grain shipments reached 11.6 million tons, accounting for more than 55% of total cargo volumes. Port infrastructure faced attacks roughly every five days, damaging 193 facilities and 25 civilian vessels, keeping risk premiums elevated. The Ukrainian…