Freight for “handysize” ships in the Black Sea is getting cheaper
11.05.2026 - 12:28
Freight rates in the Handysize sector are returning to pre-Middle East crisis levels.
The Black Sea sea freight market remains sluggish due to a shortage of new cargoes. This was reported by ASAP Agri analysts.
Over the past week, handysize owners were forced to reduce rates by another $1-2/t. In contrast, rates in the coster segment have stabilized due to the reduction in available tonnage caused by the outflow of ballast vessels from the Black Sea region.
Thus, rates for the transportation of corn by handysizes from Ukrainian ports to the East Coast of Italy (ECI) decreased to approximately $26/t in early May after a peak of around $31/t in April.
At the same time, the freight of “boilers” stabilized at around $43/t — after a sharp increase in March-April, when rates reached almost $48/t.
Analysts note that on some routes, rates have already returned to the levels observed before the sharp jump in bunker fuel prices caused by the escalation in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, corn in Ukrainian ports has risen in price against the backdrop of restrained supply and stable demand from Turkey and the EU countries.
