Tonnage shortage and congestion at Sulina pushed up rates for grain transportation from Ukraine
14.09.2026 - 11:28
Coaster tonnage shortages and delays on the Sulina Canal continue to drive up the cost of grain shipments from Ukrainian ports to Egypt.
Activity on the Ukrainian freight market is focused mainly on shipments via Danube ports. Despite the significant volume of available cargo, the number of “coasters” ready to make such trips remains limited, writes ASAP Agri.
The situation is further complicated by delays on the Sulina Canal. The wait is about 15 days when entering the canal and about three more days when exiting.
Due to long downtimes, shipowners continue to make high freight offers. This leaves charterers with limited room for negotiation and forces them to agree to higher rates.
Thus, the cost of transporting corn from Ukrainian ports to Egypt by “coasters” from the Danube direction in September reached about $110 per ton. At the same time, rates for Handysize vessels from Black Sea ports remained low.
As USM reported the day before, in September Ukraine exported 630 thousand tons of agricultural products via alternative routes.
