Freight from Danube ports has risen sharply due to a shortage of vessels and queues in Sulina
7.09.2026 - 14:31
Freight rates for grain transportation from Ukrainian Danube ports have increased sharply due to the shortage of available tonnage and the increase in waiting times for passage through the Sulina Canal.
This is reported by ASAP Agri.
According to analysts, the number of barges ready to operate on the Ukrainian route remains limited. Against the background of queues in Sulina, this strengthens the position of shipowners and forces charterers to agree to higher rates.
Over the week, freight rates for barges on short routes — to ports on the Sea of Marmara and the eastern coast of Greece — have increased by approximately $10 per ton.
On longer routes to the Eastern Mediterranean, Italy and the Mediterranean ports of Spain, rates have increased by approximately $20–25 per ton.
Barge transportation has also become more expensive: rates have increased by approximately €5 per ton. Demand for them remains high, while the available fleet on the market is small.
According to ASAP Agri, the freight rate for a tanker to transport corn from the Danube to Egypt approached $100 per ton in early September.
USM previously reported that a shortage of vessels and congestion on the Sulina Canal are increasing freight costs and risks for carriers.
