Category: Freight

Bearish: Russian grain exports fell 33% year-on-year in early January, with wheat, corn, and barley volumes all sharply lower. Bearish: Number of exporting companies dropped to a five-year low and active ports were nearly halved, exposing severe logistical and financial constraints. Neutral to Bearish: Russian wheat maintains a modest price discount to French and U.S.…

Access Restrictions: From January 2026, vessels with fewer than 10 interim port calls between Ukrainian and Russian ports are blocked from Russian Black Sea terminals. Inspection Costs: Underwater hull checks for ships using Romanian anchorages near Sulina are lengthening wait times and increasing freight disbursement costs. Regional Disparity: Black Sea enforcement is significantly stricter than…

Bullish: Turkey’s wheat import requirement doubling to 7.3 million tonnes in 2025/26 boosts demand for Black Sea exporters, especially Russia and Ukraine. Bearish: A 41% drop in Turkish flour exports and policy-driven constraints erode Turkey’s regional flour competitiveness, opening space for rival suppliers. Bullish: Russia’s pivot to overseas processing facilities supports long-term value-added export growth…

Record Export Value: Russia’s agricultural exports to China surpassed $1 billion in December 2025 for the first time, on volumes of 1.3 million tons. Oilseeds in Focus: Rapeseed oil led shipments at $215 million, with strong flows in seafood and flaxseed reinforcing diversified demand. Logistics Digitization: Continental Farmers Group launched an ERP-based carrier portal to…

Central Asian demand surges: Kazakhstan’s grain exports rose 18.6% year-on-year to 5.1 million tonnes, led by strong growth in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan. Shift to value-added in Russia: Russia’s average food export value per tonne increased 25% in 2025 as the country pivots from bulk grain to higher-margin processed products. Freight mix changing: Outlook is…

Exports Softening: Malaysian palm oil exports fell 9.7% year-over-year in 2025 to 15.26 million tonnes amid weaker demand from key buyers including India, China, the EU, and Turkey. Price Competitiveness: Palm oil now trades at a steep discount of $250/tonne to sunflower oil and $100/tonne to soybean oil, enhancing its appeal in price-sensitive markets. Short-Term…

Chornomorsk port appeal: Over 40 international bidders signal strong interest in Ukraine’s largest wartime port PPP, with pre-qualification due by March 4, 2025. Capacity boost: Concession plan targets 250,000 TEU containers and 3 million tons of bulk cargo within three years, supporting over 1,000 jobs and around $1 billion in budget revenues. Russian dairy resilience:…

Kazakhstan’s grain exports to Uzbekistan via rail jumped 32% in 2025 to 4.5 million tons, underscoring robust regional trade growth. Russian rapeseed oil exports to China hit a record 160,000 tons in December 2025, with full-year volumes rising 17% to 1.28 million tons. Overall freight volumes on Kazakhstan’s rail network increased 5.5% to 319.9 million…

Rail shipments up 18% YoY: Ukrainian oilseed cake and meal rail exports reached 114,400 tons by January 13, signaling strong demand despite logistical challenges. Western corridors dominate: Western border crossings now handle 76% of meal and 65% of cake rail freight, sharply reducing the role of seaports. Seaport share declines: Seaports account for just 24%…

Logistics consolidation: Romania’s full acquisition of Giurgiulesti Port and planned €24M+ investment aim to integrate the terminal into Danube–Black Sea freight corridors, improving export efficiency and regional capacity. Cost support for exporters: Zero Russian export duties on wheat, barley, and corn through January 27 keep Black Sea grain exports price-competitive despite slightly softer indicative prices.…