Expert: shipowners who enter the ports of Odesa are aware of all the risks

Although freight rates were expected to rise sharply after the October 8 attack, this has not happened as market players consider all possible risks.

Shipowners who send their ships to the ports of Great Odesa are well aware of the risks they are taking. Freight broker and shipowner Kostyantyn Sobol told Latifundist about it.

After the Russian attack on port infrastructure on October 8, freight rates were expected to rise sharply. However, this did not happen. The market did not react as it did in Ismail in 2023, when rates increased by 50%. Instead, freight rates remained at the previous level, and cargo transportation continued unchanged.

The Ukrainian market of maritime transportation remains premium, because shipowners who enter the deep-sea ports of Ukraine receive an additional risk premium. There is even an unofficial rate on the market for such transportation.

Thus, according to Sobol, vessels of the 50,000-ton segment and more can receive a premium of $150,000 to $300,000 for a shipment of cargo. For example, a vessel of the “Supramax” type receives $10-11 thousand per day, but when entering Ukraine, this rate increases to $16-17 thousand.

The expert also noted that when delivering goods to Indonesia or China, the price can reach $300,000, with possible fluctuations depending on the circumstances. In more stable periods, the main premium was insurance compensation, when owners of “supramaxes” received up to $100,000 in premiums compared to risk-free routes.

However, the freight market in the Mediterranean is currently at a low level, which also contributes to the lack of a surge in rates.

The day before, USM wrote that the Russians attacked a container ship with oil for Palestine on the order of the UN.