The first ship loaded with Ukrainian corn leaves the port of Constanța

A ship loaded with over 71,000 tons of Ukrainian corn will leave the port of Constanța. It is the first such transport since the start of the war in Ukraine, Reuters reports.

The ship was loaded in the port of Constanța, being the first operation of this kind since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, said the director of the port operator Comvex.

As Ukraine’s seaports have been blocked since the start of the war, more than two months ago, the world’s fourth-largest grain exporter was forced to send train shipments across its western border or small ports. on the Danube in Romania. “This is the first Ukrainian corn vessel to leave the port,” Comvex President Viorel Panait told Reuters.

The ship that took over the cargo is Unity N, according to a Reuters witness.

Comvex operates the fastest loading grain terminal in Europe, which can process up to 70,000 tons per day, as well as a mineral handling terminal, said Panait, who is also the president of the Constanța Port Business Association.

Earlier in the week, the operator completed the loading of about 35,000 tons of Ukrainian iron ore, and a second ship is expected to be loaded around May 15, he said. “Compared to the initial moment, when everyone was looking for alternatives, the transport corridors for these exports are slowly emerging,” Panait said.

About 80,000 tons of Ukrainian grain have been sent to Constanta so far, and another 80,000 tons have been approved and are on their way, the Constanta Port manager said on Tuesday.

Transports are hampered by the infrastructure that connects the port of Constanta, Panait added. “The infrastructure around the port is a problem for all economic activities in Romania … slow access generates additional costs in these industries,” he said.