GRAIN importers in Europe and North Africa start 2023 hoping for an acceleration in exports from Ukraine under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, reports London's S&P Global Platts.
January and February are typically two of the busiest months for Ukraine's grain exporters but are being held back by the speed ships can be approved to sail to and from Ukraine's sea ports.
'I have the impression that Russia uses any excuse possible to slow down the inspection process,' said a Ukraine trader.
Since August, the UN-brokered deal has guaranteed the safety of commercial ships visiting the ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi.
It requires every ship to be inspected by a team composed of representatives from Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the UN.
A Ukrainian government official said on January 4 that its priority is to accelerate the pace of these inspections.
The Russian foreign ministry did not reply to a request for comment. As of January 3, there were just three teams operating.
Each team can perform two or three inspections a day, and every ship must be inspected twice, once before arrival and once before departure.
Another potential issue for shipowners is the suspension of war risk cover in Ukraine and Russia from January 1 for some liabilities by protection and indemnity clubs.
The impact of that move wasn't clear at the time of publication.
Nevertheless, the closure of Ukraine's deepsea ports between March and July following Russia's invasion forced exporters to defer shipments or find alternative routes.
Those trains and smaller boats weren't able to handle much more than 2.5 million tonnes a month.
In the first three months of the grain corridor's operation from August to October, the deepsea ports shipped 4.4 million tonnes.
That was 3.8 million tonnes over the same period a year earlier but wasn't sufficient to clear the corn remaining from the 2021 crop.
'The key trend to watch out for 2023 for Ukraine and Black Sea grain is prospective area,' said agronomist Elena Neroba.
'The lack of electricity and expensive gas make drying unprofitable.'
SeaNews Turkey
January and February are typically two of the busiest months for Ukraine's grain exporters but are being held back by the speed ships can be approved to sail to and from Ukraine's sea ports.
'I have the impression that Russia uses any excuse possible to slow down the inspection process,' said a Ukraine trader.
Since August, the UN-brokered deal has guaranteed the safety of commercial ships visiting the ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi.
It requires every ship to be inspected by a team composed of representatives from Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the UN.
A Ukrainian government official said on January 4 that its priority is to accelerate the pace of these inspections.
The Russian foreign ministry did not reply to a request for comment. As of January 3, there were just three teams operating.
Each team can perform two or three inspections a day, and every ship must be inspected twice, once before arrival and once before departure.
Another potential issue for shipowners is the suspension of war risk cover in Ukraine and Russia from January 1 for some liabilities by protection and indemnity clubs.
The impact of that move wasn't clear at the time of publication.
Nevertheless, the closure of Ukraine's deepsea ports between March and July following Russia's invasion forced exporters to defer shipments or find alternative routes.
Those trains and smaller boats weren't able to handle much more than 2.5 million tonnes a month.
In the first three months of the grain corridor's operation from August to October, the deepsea ports shipped 4.4 million tonnes.
That was 3.8 million tonnes over the same period a year earlier but wasn't sufficient to clear the corn remaining from the 2021 crop.
'The key trend to watch out for 2023 for Ukraine and Black Sea grain is prospective area,' said agronomist Elena Neroba.
'The lack of electricity and expensive gas make drying unprofitable.'
SeaNews Turkey