Shipowners of “coasters” leveled the bets for the Danube and deep-water ports, — ASAP Agri

Shipowners are more likely to offer the same freight rates for voyages from both POC and Danube ports.

In the third decade of February, the situation on the Ukrainian freight market has not changed significantly – rates are generally held, and the market lacks the momentum to reverse the trend in favor of shipowners. This is reported by ASAP Agri.

According to analysts, cargo orders for the end of February and the first half of March continue to arrive, but only a limited part of them is firm. The reason is the ongoing logistical difficulties in Ukraine. Charterers are more likely to book cargoes only after receiving offers from shipowners with clear dates and confirmed freight rates.

In the “shipowners” segment, this week, shipowners are increasingly voicing the same freight ideas for voyages from both deep-water ports of Ukraine (POC) and Danube ports. In a number of cases, this has forced charterers with Danube cargoes to agree to slightly higher rates in order to lock in a vessel and attract the attention of tonnage owners.

At the same time, the freight department of Atria Brokers estimates the cost of transporting 30 thousand tons of corn from Ukrainian deep-water ports to the east coast of Italy at $25/t — unchanged for the week.

In the “coasters” segment, the freight for shipping 6 thousand tons of corn from Ukrainian Danube ports to the east coast of Italy is kept in the range of $37–39/t.

As USM wrote, in 2025, agricultural products provided 56% of Ukraine’s exports, despite a decrease in the share.