Ukrainian grain exports through Constanta have more than tripled

In the first nine months of 2026, Ukrainian grain exports through the Romanian port of Constanta more than tripled to 1.03 million tons.

At the same time, the port’s total cargo turnover remained almost at the same level as last year. This was reported by Baird Maritime with reference to Reuters.

According to the Constanta Port Authority, from January to September 2026, the total cargo turnover amounted to 51.55 million tons, practically unchanged compared to the same period in 2025.

At the same time, grain exports through the port increased by 7% to 15.8 million tons. In particular, the volume of transshipment of Ukrainian grain increased to 1.03 million tons compared to 321 thousand tons in the first nine months of last year.

These figures do not take into account the consequences of the October attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea. The port authority plans to publish data for October in November.

As Reuters notes, over the past three weeks, the number of attacks on merchant ships near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria has increased sharply. According to the agency, at least eight cargo ships have been hit, and about 34 sailors have been killed or missing.

The ships that were hit were anchored near or heading to the Sulina Canal. The canal connects the Danube with the Black Sea and is one of the key routes for Ukrainian exports.

Against the background of increased threats in September, the London marine insurance market expanded the zone of increased military risk in the Black Sea. The territorial waters of Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey remained the exceptions.

Although ships entering Constanta directly were not the targets of the latest attacks, the general increase in risks in the Black Sea has led to higher insurance prices.

A Reuters source in the London insurance market said that insurance coverage for voyages to Romanian ports remained available, although its cost had increased significantly.

He said that some insurers were refraining from working in the region, but shipowners could still obtain insurance coverage for voyages to the Romanian part of the Black Sea.

USM previously reported that waiting in Sulina could cost a ship $160,000 for 40 days.