Changing the port of unloading to Constanta: procedure for the importer

After the suspension of container lines to the ports of Great Odesa, some of the cargo destined for Ukraine began to be redirected to Constanta, Romania. For importers, this means additional paperwork, new port costs and the need to organize the delivery of the container to Ukraine.
Founder and CEO of SafeLogic Oleksandr Tsurkan explains what to do after being notified of a change in the port of discharge and what costs and delays to consider.

When is this procedure needed?

If your container was redirected from a Ukrainian port to Constanta, four changes must be made to the bill of lading in accordance with the requirements of Romanian customs. The entire procedure takes an average of 4–5 working days, so it should be started immediately, and not upon the arrival of the vessel. Below is what exactly is changed, in what order, and what to check in addition to documents.
Formally, every time the actual port of unloading does not coincide with that indicated in the bill of lading. In practice, in the summer of 2026, this is a massive situation: after increased attacks on port infrastructure, container lines suspended calls to the ports of Greater Odesa, and cargo that was supposed to arrive in Ukraine by sea is unloaded in Constanta and transported further by land.
Maersk stopped feeder calls from July 21, 2026, redirecting imported containers to Constanta. CMA CGM, MSC, and Hapag-Lloyd also separately announced the suspension of calls to Odesa and Chornomorsk.
The key rule: the ocean freight rate for an already booked line is not changed when the line is redirected. Everything after the port of discharge changes – local charges, storage costs, demurrage conditions and freight costs. This is where the difference in costs for the current delivery arises. Separately, rates for new bookings increase due to the tonnage shortage.

What is changed in the bill of lading: four corrections

Romanian customs imposes strict requirements for transit cargo clearance. Skipping any of the points means that the documents will have to be processed upon arrival – with the accumulation of storage and demurrage.

1. Change the port of discharge to Constanta. In the Port of Discharge column, instead of the Ukrainian port, Constanta, Romania is indicated. A basic correction, without which the line will not issue a cargo release.
2. Add a transit remark. The remark confirms that the cargo is not intended for release into free circulation in Romania, but is sent in transit to Ukraine. Without it, the Romanian side will consider the delivery as an import to the EU with the corresponding consequences.
3. Add a forwarder’s note in the “recipient” column. If the company indicated as the recipient is not the direct recipient of the cargo, a forwarder’s note is entered before its name. This is a requirement of the Romanian side for correct identification of the role of a participant in the chain.
4. Enter the domestic bill of lading number in the linear bill of lading. The domestic bill of lading number is added to the master bill of lading. This links the documents together and allows customs to trace the chain from the sender to the final recipient.
   The current list and requirements for corrections should be obtained from your line, as the situation is dynamic and changes daily.

How long it takes

In total, all four corrections, taking into account coordination with the line, take an average of 4–5 working days. The term does not depend on how much cargo is in the container and how urgently it is needed – this is the procedural time on the line’s side.
The practical conclusion is simple: the procedure is started on the day the redirection notification is received. If you wait until the ship approaches Constanta, the documents will be ready upon arrival – and the free storage period will start to run out at that time.

What to check besides the bill of lading

• Local charges and NRR in Constanta
  Immediately after confirming the redirection, request from the line invoices for loading and unloading operations and local charges at the port of unloading. Constanta tariffs differ from Odesa and Black Sea ones – most often in the direction of increase. There is no universal figure here: each line has its own set of charges, so the amounts are specified individually and in advance, and not upon the fact of issuing the invoice.
• Demurrage, detention and storage
  This is where the Ukrainian importer most often loses money on automatism. Free periods in Constanta are shorter than in Ukrainian ports, and the rates for excess are higher. The usual logic of “the container can stand for several days while we decide” is noticeably more expensive here. Therefore, the export plan should be ready before the vessel arrives, and not drawn up after it.
• Transport for delivery
  Road transport is booked for a specific unloading date, a place in the railway service is according to the line quotas. Since the free period in Constanta is short, any pause between “container at the terminal” and “car found” immediately turns into storage.
• Queues at Orlivka
  This is a bottleneck that is currently not taken into account in the calculations. The road route from Constanta to Ukraine passes through the Orlivka-Isaccea ferry crossing, and it is already overloaded. The border service records the accumulation of transport on the Romanian side, large queues form at the Isaccia checkpoint.
  The reason is structural: the crossing is a ferry, its capacity is limited by the schedule and number of flights, and it is impossible to increase it for the increased flow. When it is also burdened by the container flow redirected from the ports, the queue becomes a permanent factor, not a one-time coincidence.
  In practice, this means two things. The first is that the travel time from Constanta is planned not by mileage, but with a margin for the ferry, and this margin must be agreed with the carrier in advance. The second is that the queue status is checked before ordering a car, not after. The current data is published by the State Border Guard Service, and there are public services for monitoring queues in real time.
  I would like to note that the railway route does not use the ferry crossing, so the queues at Orlivka do not apply to it. If the terms are floating, this is now a weighty argument in favor of the railway service, even when the car option looks cheaper on paper.

What will happen to the cost of subsequent deliveries?

This is an effect that is easy to miss while you are busy with the current container. Rerouting ships extends the fleet turnover: the same ship serves the voyage longer than originally scheduled. In a market where there was already a shortage of available tonnage, this noticeably worsens the availability of container ships – and carriers are already raising rates. This does not affect cargo already on the way: the freight rate for the current booking remains unchanged. But the purchases you plan for the coming months should be calculated at higher rates than those in force in the spring. If the freight is fixed in the cost model – it is time to review it.

Delivery from Constanta to Ukraine: two options

Maersk has launched a temporary rail service between Constanta and terminals in Ukraine — in import and export connections. According to the line, the service is valid until October 1, 2026 and is positioned as an alternative to road transport; the cost of T1 paperwork is included in the transportation rate. Since the service is temporary, the current list of terminals and conditions should be confirmed with the line immediately before booking. Currently, three directions are operating – Odesa, Kyiv, Ternopil.

Checklist: first 48 hours after redirection notification

• Confirm the status of the specific vessel and terminal with the line – do not rely on general news.
• Run all four bill of lading corrections simultaneously, not sequentially.
• Request invoices for NRR and local charges in Constanta.
• Specify the free storage period, demurrage and detention for this booking.
• Book transport for delivery or a place in the railway service.
• Check the queue status on the Orlivka – Isaccea ferry before ordering a car and set a time limit.
• Calculate the cost of delivery taking into account the new charges and the cost of delivery.
• Separately review the budget for subsequent purchases – freight rates for new bookings are increasing due to the shortage of tonnage.
• Warn the final recipient about the date shift – it is better to immediately with a new estimate than with two notifications.

FAQs

• How long does it take to change the port of discharge in the bill of lading?

On average, up to 4–5 business days. This is the total time for all four corrections, taking into account coordination with the line. The procedure should be started immediately after receiving the notification of redirection – if you start late, the cargo will arrive in Constanta with incorrect documents and will begin to accumulate storage.

• Will the freight cost increase when redirecting to Constanta?

The line’s ocean freight rate does not change with such redirection. Other components increase: local fees and loading and unloading operations at the port of discharge. Constanta tariffs differ from Odessa and Chornomorsk, most often in the direction of increase. The exact amounts must be specified with each line separately.

• What are the differences between the demurrage and detention conditions in Constanta?

Free periods in Constanta are shorter than in Ukrainian ports, and the rates for excess are higher. This means that the logic of “the container can stand” familiar to Ukrainian importers does not work here: it is necessary to export without delay, otherwise additional costs will appear faster and will be higher.

• What documents do you need to order additionally?

Immediately after confirming the redirection, you should request invoices for loading and unloading operations and local fees in Constanta from the line. It is better to receive them in advance, and not upon arrival – this gives you time to check the amounts and include them in the calculation.

• How to export a container from Constanta to Ukraine?

Two options: road delivery or rail. Maersk has launched a temporary rail service between Constanta and terminals in Ukraine – according to the line, until October 1, 2026, with the cost of T1 document processing included in the rate. Road delivery is more flexible in terms of dates and directions, rail delivery is more predictable in terms of cost. The choice depends on the final destination and terms.

• Are there queues at the border when transporting goods from Constanta?

Yes. The road route from Constanta to Ukraine passes through the Orlivka-Isaccea ferry crossing, and it is already overloaded: the border guard service records a traffic jam on the Romanian side. The ferry’s capacity is limited by the schedule and number of flights, so the queue is a structural factor, not a temporary coincidence. Travel time should be planned with a margin, and the queue status should be checked before ordering a car. The railway route does not use the ferry, so it does not have these delays.

• Will future deliveries become more expensive due to the situation in the region?

Yes, and this is a separate effect of the documentary procedure. Redirecting ships to Constanta lengthens the fleet turnover and worsens the availability of free container ships, which were already lacking on the market. Carriers are already raising rates. This does not affect cargo already en route — the freight rate for the current booking remains unchanged. However, new bookings for the coming months should be calculated at higher rates than you paid in the spring.

• What to do if the cargo has not yet been shipped?

It is easier and cheaper to issue a bill of lading immediately to Constanta than to adjust it later. If the shipment is still ahead, agree with the sender and the line on the correct port of discharge and transit remark at the booking stage — this saves the same 4–5 working days and eliminates the risk of discrepancies in documents.

• Is it possible to refuse transportation without a penalty?

For export bookings, Maersk announced the possibility of canceling without a commission or redirecting the cargo to Constanta at the current ocean freight rate. The conditions for different lines differ, so this issue should be clarified for a specific booking.