Tracking Ukraine’s efforts to export grain 

The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted Spire Maritime’s data on the cost to Ukraine’s farmers to ship grain out of the country.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which ensured the safe passage of grain shipments from Ukraine, going so far as to bomb Ukrainian ports last month. Ukraine is working with the U.S. and neighboring countries to develop other routes for transporting the country’s grain internationally.

One route Ukraine has been developing is along the Danube River, which flows into the Black Sea along Ukraine’s southern border with Romania. As of Thursday, Spire’s ShipView dashboard is showing almost 500 cargo ships in the vicinity along the Ukraine-Romania Border and at the port of Constanta in Romania.

Spire Maritime’s ShipView dashboard showing congestion of cargo ships (green triangles) and tankers (dark blue triangles) currently near the Danube Delta and Constanta Port in Romania on August 25.

Alternative grain export routes

Another option under development is just south of the Ukrainian border in Romania at the Port of Galati on the Danube River. Ukraine could transport grain by trains across the border. Romanian officials said the port is ready and available.

Spire Maritime’s ShipView dashboard focused on the Port of Galati showing cargo, tug boats, tankers, and other boats

Spire data tracking grain exports

Lastly, a Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship left the Ukranian port of Odesa on Wednesday and is making its way toward Turkey along a temporary corridor the International Maritime Organization (IMO) created for Ukraine.

Spire Maritime data shows the Joseph Schulte cargo ship after passing through the Bosphorus Strait on Friday, August 18

The ship, named the Joseph Schulte, is the first ship to leave the port since July when Russia rejected renewing the Black Sea Grain deal. The Joseph Schulte is making its way towards the Turkish port of Tramb in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Istanbul.

Spire Global will continue tracking the developments of Ukraine’s efforts to export its grain in the coming months and highlight shipping data along the Danube River as well as developments of the Black Sea’s temporary shipping corridor.