Ukraine plans new export route on Danube to bypass Polish blockade

Ukraine plans to use an additional route on the Danube River to increase the export to pre-war levels since the Polish blockade of agricultural products shuts off Ukraine's ground border with the EU.

Source: Bloomberg

"We are planning container transportation via the upper Danube as Romania is more predictable than the Polish border," Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister, said.

The new route will run from the Ukrainian seaport in Izmail to Romania’s Constanta.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company has constructed the second large-tonnage barge SLG for cargo delivery.

Background: 

• On 20 February Polish farmers intensified protest actions near the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint. The protesters blocked the railroad and spilled grain from a freight train onto the tracks.
• The Polish farmers, who are blocking the traffic near the checkpoints at the Polish-Ukrainian border, are planning to continue the protest action for a month – until April.
• Reportedly, in case the blockade of the Polish-Ukrainian border is not lifted by the end of the month, Ukraine’s budget may lose up to UAH 7.7 billion (approximately US$200.5 million).
• The Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company starts forming container caravans to facilitate an alternative logistic route on the Danube River which would bypass the blocked western border.

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